Bichat bags is well-defined clusters of fatty tissue, located in the each cheek, just below the cheekbones and directly related to the buccinator muscle. They have no specific function other than to give volume to the area and can be very different sizes depending on the characteristics of each individual. In childhood these fat deposits generally have greater volume, creating the typical filled-out rounded oval facial outline of a baby or child.
Over the years, this fatty tissue usually begins to shrink slowly. However, the decrease in volume varies in degree from person to person.
Generally in people who have more rounded facial contours, with prominent cheeks and poorly defined cheekbones, these Bichat bags or balls do not atrophy, leaving them undesirably large. Bichectomy counteracts this phenomenon and is a good option for this patient group.