EEstetica Istanbul Medical TeamJuly 6, 20269 min read
Buccal fat removal in Turkey — also called bichectomy or a buccal lipectomy — typically costs from around €1,750 as an all-inclusive package, with most quotes falling between roughly €1,500 and €2,000. It is a short, day-case procedure that removes a small amount of the buccal fat pad from each cheek to slim a full lower face and bring out cheekbone and jawline definition. It is also permanent and not for everyone. This guide covers the real cost, what the procedure involves, who is a good candidate, the recovery, and the honest risks you should weigh before booking.
How much does buccal fat removal cost in Turkey?
At Estetica Istanbul, buccal fat removal is quoted as an all-inclusive package that typically starts from around €1,750, with the exact figure confirmed at consultation. That package covers the procedure, the board-certified partner surgeon and anaesthesia, your nights in a partner recovery hotel with airport transfers, and a patient coordinator throughout your stay. The only cost never included is your flights. A deposit secures your date and the balance is settled before surgery. Because it is quoted as a package in euros rather than billed piecemeal, the figure you agree at consultation is the figure you pay — there are no per-item surprises at the end.
Why is buccal fat removal cheaper in Turkey?
A lower price does not mean lower quality. Turkey's cost advantage is structural: lower clinical overheads and staff costs, a favourable exchange rate, and a high volume of facial procedures that keeps accredited facilities efficient. In the UK buccal fat removal typically runs £2,500–4,000, in the US $3,000–6,000, and across Western Europe €3,000–5,000 — and those figures usually exclude the hotel and transfers that a Turkish package folds in. What you are not paying for is the premium overhead of a Harley Street or Beverly Hills address, not a cut in clinical standards. The right way to judge a clinic is the surgeon's credentials and results, not the price alone.
What's included in the all-inclusive package
An Estetica Istanbul buccal fat removal package is built so you arrive to a plan and leave with aftercare in place. It includes the pre-operative consultation and assessment, the board-certified partner surgeon and the anaesthesia team, the procedure itself, your post-operative medication, nights in a partner recovery hotel, all airport and clinic transfers, and a patient coordinator throughout. Flights are never included. Everything is quoted in euros — the invoicing currency — so there are no exchange-rate surprises. As a medical-tourism agency, Estetica coordinates your care with board-certified partner surgeons and an accredited hospital rather than employing clinical staff directly, and your treatment is carried out at contracted, licensed healthcare institutions.
The buccal fat pad sits deep in the cheek, between the facial muscles. In a bichectomy the surgeon makes a small incision on the inside of each cheek — so there is no visible external scar — gently teases out a measured portion of the pad, removes it, and closes with dissolvable stitches. The operation is quick, usually 30 to 45 minutes, and is done under local anaesthesia, sometimes with light sedation, so you are not put fully under. Only part of the pad is taken; leaving enough behind is what protects you from an over-hollowed result later. It is frequently combined with rhinoplasty, chin or jaw contouring, or lower-face liposuction in a single trip, which your surgeon will assess for safety at consultation.
Who is a good candidate?
The best candidates are people with genuinely full, round mid-to-lower cheeks — the 'chubby cheek' look that stays even at a stable, healthy weight — who want more definition and have good skin elasticity. It is not a weight-loss procedure and it will not sharpen a jawline that is heavy for other reasons. Crucially, buccal fat removal is a poor choice for people with naturally thin or narrow faces, and surgeons are cautious with older patients: the face loses fat naturally with age, so removing buccal fat in your twenties can contribute to a gaunt, prematurely aged look in your forties and fifties. A responsible consultation will sometimes advise against the procedure — that is a good sign, not a lost sale.
Recovery timeline: what to expect
Recovery from buccal fat removal is quick but not instant. Expect swelling and mild tenderness for the first one to two weeks, which can briefly make the cheeks look fuller before they slim — this is normal and not the final result. You will be on a soft diet for a few days and asked to use an antiseptic mouth rinse to keep the intraoral incisions clean while they heal. Most people return to work within a few days to a week and can fly home after their post-operative check. The slimming effect emerges gradually as swelling resolves, with the final, settled contour usually visible at three to six months. Avoid vigorous exercise for the first couple of weeks and follow your surgeon's guidance on oral hygiene and diet.
Is it safe? The honest risks
Buccal fat removal is a low-risk procedure in experienced hands, but it is still surgery and two points deserve real honesty. First, it is permanent and effectively irreversible — the fat pad does not grow back, so over-resection cannot easily be undone and is the single most common regret, showing up as a gaunt or aged appearance years later. That is why a conservative surgeon removes less rather than more. Second, because the fat pad sits near the facial nerve branches and the parotid (salivary) duct, there is a small risk of injury to these structures, along with the general surgical risks of infection, bleeding, asymmetry and reaction to anaesthesia. These serious complications are uncommon with a properly trained surgeon working in an accredited facility, which is exactly why credentials matter more here than price.
How to choose a clinic
Before paying a deposit anywhere, confirm four things: that the surgeon is board-certified in plastic or maxillofacial surgery and that the clinic works with an accredited hospital holding health-tourism authorisation; that you can see real before-and-after photos of buccal fat cases specifically; that the surgeon is willing to tell you if you are not a good candidate rather than simply agreeing; and that aftercare and a clear point of contact are set out in writing. Be wary of anyone promising a dramatic 'snatched' result from aggressive removal, and be sceptical of prices far below the ranges above or of reviews that are uniformly perfect. Restraint, not maximum removal, is what ages well.
How much does buccal fat removal cost in Turkey?
Buccal fat removal at Estetica Istanbul typically starts from around €1,750 all-inclusive, with most packages falling between roughly €1,500 and €2,000. That covers the procedure, the board-certified partner surgeon and anaesthesia, hotel nights and transfers. Flights are separate, and the exact figure is confirmed at consultation.
Is buccal fat removal permanent?
Yes. The buccal fat pad that is removed does not grow back, so the slimming effect is permanent. This is why surgeons remove conservatively — an over-hollowed result is difficult to reverse and can look prematurely aged as the face naturally loses fat with time.
Does buccal fat removal leave a scar?
There is no visible external scar. The incisions are made inside the mouth, on the inner cheek, and closed with dissolvable stitches, so any healing happens out of sight. You will need to keep the area clean with a mouth rinse while the small internal incisions heal over the first week or two.
Will I look gaunt as I age?
Not if the removal is conservative and you were a suitable candidate to begin with. The risk of a gaunt, aged look comes from taking too much fat or operating on a face that was never full to start with. A careful surgeon leaves enough of the pad in place precisely to avoid this, which is why candidate selection matters so much.
Considering buccal fat removal in Istanbul? Request a free, no-obligation assessment and a personalised quote from Estetica Istanbul. Send a couple of photos and tell us what you would like to change, and our team will give you an honest view — including whether the procedure is right for your face, or whether you would be better served by something else.
