Short-term safety of facial rejuvenation using an absorbable polydioxanone monofilament thread in patients with mild-to-moderate facial skin sagging

ABSTRACT

Background@#Facial rejuvenation techniques using thread lifts are performed by passing sutures under the facial skin to treat sagging and facial flaccidity, and their advantages include a relatively short recovery time and relatively small incisions. In this study, we describe the short-term safety of a facial rejuvenation technique involving an absorbable polydioxanone monofilament thread (Mint Lift) in patients with mild-to-moderate facial skin sagging. @*Methods@#The current multicenter, retrospective, case-series study was conducted in a total of 196 patients who visited the Grace Plastic Surgery Clinic or the Songdo IB Clinic between 2016 and 2018. The patients underwent insertion of the Mint Lift 43 and 17 in the deep temporal fascia and the deep subcutaneous layer, respectively. Of these patients, 179 met the eligibility criteria and their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. @*Results@#The patients comprised six men (3.4%) and 173 women (96.6%), with a mean age of 44.4±14.4 years. In our series, postoperative complications included ecchymosis (1.7%), infection (0.4%), thread extrusion (1.1%), and skin dimpling (1.5%). No cases of iatrogenic nerve injury were observed, and all postoperative complications spontaneously resolved. @*Conclusions@#The Mint Lift 43 and 17 may be safe for thread lifting in patients with mildto-moderate facial skin sagging. However, further long-term follow-up studies are warranted.