Bichectomy that went wrong: procedure is not suitable for everyone –

Recently, influencer Jessica Frozza (@eusoufrozza) used their social networks to talk about a bichectomy gone wrong. On Instagram, she claimed not to have researched the procedure very well before performing it, and noticed some unwanted effects after a while of the surgery.

“After the first year, my face gained a flaccidity gigantic. It fell on my face. Today, I have to be undergoing treatment to stimulate the collagen on the Bichat ball. I became caveiristic, ”he said.

But what is bichectomy anyway?

It is the withdrawal of bichat bagsstructures that “received this name because they were identified by the French anatomist Marie François Bichat at the end of the 18th century”, explains plastic surgeon Juliana Sales (@dra. julianasales), specialist in cosmiatry and member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery (SBCP).

They are pockets fat located in deep layers of the corners of the face, near the jaws. “Some specialists claim that they serve as shock absorbers for internal structures that are nearby, such as facial nerves and salivary glands”, adds plastic surgeon Wendell Uguetto (@dr_wendell_ugueto), member of the SBCP and of the clinical staff of Hospital Albert Einstein.

The problem is that if they are too big, in addition to leaving the cheeks larger, bags can cause the person to end up biting the inside of the mouth frequently, generating some injuries by repetition.

How does the procedure and post-op work?

“Two small cuts (about one centimeter) are made inside the mouth, from which the bags (approximately three milliliters of fat) are removed”, says Wendell Uguetto.

One or two stitches on each side are enough to complete the procedure. They are naturally absorbed into the body — there is no need to take them out. “The patient usually does not feel severe pain (he can go back to work the next day and training a week later). And the region is slightly swollen. The final results can be observed two to three months after the completion of the bichectomy”, concludes the surgeon.

However, doctor Juliana Sales warns: although technically simple, it can have serious complications if not performed by a trained professional. “Like injuries to the nerves of the face or the parotid duct (responsible for transporting saliva),” she says.

Bichectomy gone wrong: surgery is not for everyone

As with all other procedures, the bichectomy has precise indications. For example, individuals who have round or square faces. “Even so, the shape of the face may not be due to Bichat bags, but to bone issues or even muscle hypertrophy in the region. In this case, performing the surgery will not have the necessary effect and can cause deformations”, says the specialist.

Surgeon Wendell agrees. “Over time, the face can become sunken and the more flaccid skin — after all, there was a removal of a filler that will be missed from an aesthetic point of view.”