On Valentine’s Day, about 2-1/2 weeks ago, I came back from surgery earlier than expected. My nurse practitioner Sofia has been asking me for buccal fat pad removal for some time. I have always felt that her face had an excellent contour and needed no adjustment, but she was particularly bothered by fullness just in front of her masseter muscle and above her jawline. This bothered her for a while, and she was adamant about having the procedure done. It so happens that I received a 3-dimensional camera from Vectra that same week. The 3-dimensional camera provides a solution to a problem that I have encountered for a long time in my buccal fat pad removal practice: the fact that buccal fat pad removal is not a two-dimensional operation. I already knew that Sofia’s results would be subtle enough, as she does not have sizable buccal fat pads on examination. However, with 3-dimensional cameras, I am now able to assess the true effect of buccal fat pad removal as well as any vectors of change over time. Granted, her operation was 2-1/2 weeks ago and there is still plenty of swelling, I already see a beautiful change. As I’ve already presented, images in 2 dimensions do not show that drastic of a change, but the 3-dimensional story is quite different. This video discusses the journey from before, during, and after buccal fat pad removal in my own Nurse Practitioner. At less than 3 weeks, I can use tracker-less marking on my new software to assess not only the volumetric change but also vectors of movement change. I can also assess views where buccal fat pad removal changes are most apparent. Interestingly, the posterior three-quarter oblique view shows the most prominent change. That’s my least favorite angle; now I know why! As time progresses, we can continue to follow more and more patients with this cutting-edge technology. If you or someone you know wants to have buccal fat pad removal, and you are interested in precise changes, our ongoing studies using 3-dimensional imaging and software will allow us to predict the changes in your face more accurately than we have ever been able to do before. To learn more, book your appointment to discuss buccal fat pad removal with Dr. Zelken, board-certified Newport Beach plastic surgeon, at (949) 432-4730.
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