Does Perioral Mound Liposuction Treat Fat Pockets Outside The Corners Of the Mouth?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in perioral mound liposuction. I have a problem with fat pockets around the corners of the mouth. I’ve had buccal fat pad removal before, but it did not help at the right area. I also have some fat along my jaw line that I do not like. Do you think it is possible to perform microliposuction at those areas? And how drastic will the result be? Are there any complications with this surgery? Have you done this surgery many times?

A: I am not surprised that a buccal lumpectomy do not affect your area of concern as the large buccal fat pad or any of its arms does not extend downward toward the corner of the mouth and jawline. This area, as you have correctly pointed out, is known as the perioral mound area which is a subcutaneous layer of fat. (not like a well defined fat capsule like the buccal fat pad) I have done perioral mound liposuction numerous times. It is done with a very small cannula from a small incision inside the corners of the mouth. As there are no facial nerve branches in this area, one can aggressively liposuction it. It never produces a large amount of fat and often only a few ccd is obtained, but in the right patient, that can make for a noticeable thinning effect.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana