Buccal fat pad excision: aesthetic improvement of the midface

Visual criteria for a harmonious midface depends on (1) a distinction between the anterior border of the parotid gland and cheek hollow, (2) a visible posterior border of the nasolabial fold (this signifying the most variable criterion), (3) an intervening cheek soft-tissue convexity that does not exceed the plane of a perpendicular from the midzygoma to the mandible (subtle submalar depression), (4) prominent zygomatic eminences, and (5) a well-defined mandible, particularly the angle. The space within the zygomatic arch and the mandible that defines the ideal midfacial "cheek hollow" has been established. This can be achieved through a combination of: aesthetic contouring of the facial skeleton, facial liposculpture, and cervicofacialplasty. A series of 25 consecutive patients undergoing submuscular fat removal by buccal fat pad excision to improve aesthetic midface were treated and are presented. To preserve the subcutaneous fat commonly lost with aging and to avoid late secondary deformities, only submuscular buccal fat excision is recommended in a carefully selected group of patients. The anatomy, indications, and technique for buccal lipectomy in midface contouring are discussed.