Treatment of Soft Tissue Filler Complications: Expert Consensus Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Dermal fillers have been increasingly used in minimally invasive facial esthetic procedures. This widespread use has led to a rise in reports of associated complications. The aim of this expert consensus report is to describe potential adverse events associated with dermal fillers and to provide guidance on their treatment and avoidance. METHODS: A multidisciplinary group of experts in esthetic treatments convened to discuss the management of the complications associated with dermal fillers use. A search was performed for English, French, and Spanish language articles in MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database, and Google Scholar using the search terms "complications" OR "soft filler complications" OR "injectable complications" AND "dermal fillers" AND "Therapy". An initial document was drafted by the Coordinating Committee, and it was reviewed and modified by the experts, until a final text was agreed upon and validated. RESULTS: The panel addressed consensus recommendations about the classification of filler complications according to the time of onset and about the clinical management of different complications including bruising, swelling, edema, infections, lumps and bumps, skin discoloration, and biofilm formation. Special attention was paid to vascular compromise and retinal artery occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be fully aware of the signs and symptoms related to complications and be prepared to confidently treat them. Establishing action protocols for emergencies, with agents readily available in the office, would reduce the severity of adverse outcomes associated with injection of hyaluronic acid fillers in the cosmetic setting. This document seeks to lay down a set of recommendations and to identify key issues that may be useful for clinicians who are starting to use dermal fillers. Additionally, this document provides a better understanding about the diagnoses and management of complications if they do occur. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Preventing the Complications Associated with the Use of Dermal Fillers in Facial Aesthetic Procedures: An Expert Group Consensus Report.

BACKGROUND: The use of dermal fillers in minimally invasive facial aesthetic procedures has become increasingly popular of late, yet as the indications and the number of procedures performed increase, the number of complications is also likely to increase. Paying special attention to specific patient characteristics and to the technique used can do much to avoid these complications. Indeed, a well-trained physician can also minimize the impact of such problems when they do occur. METHODS: A multidisciplinary group of experts in aesthetic treatments reviewed the main factors associated with the complications that arise when using dermal fillers. A search of English, French and Spanish language articles in PubMed was performed using the terms "complications" OR "soft filler complications" OR "injectable complications" AND "dermal fillers". An initial document was drafted that reflected the complications identified and recommendations as to how they should be handled. This document was then reviewed and modified by the expert panel, until a final text was agreed upon and validated. RESULTS: The panel addressed consensus recommendations about the preparation, the procedure and the post-procedural care. The panel considered it crucial to obtain an accurate medical history to prevent potential complications. An additional clinical assessment, including standardized photography, is also crucial to evaluate the outcomes and prevent potential complications. Furthermore, the state of the operating theatre, the patient's health status and the preparation of the skin are critical to prevent superficial soft tissue infections. Finally, selecting the appropriate technique, based on the physician's experience, as well as the characteristics of the patient and filler, helps to ensure successful outcomes and limits the complications. CONCLUSIONS: This consensus document provides key elements to help clinicians who are starting to use dermal fillers to employ standard procedures and to understand how best to prevent potential complications of the treatment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Adverse reactions after nonablative radiofrequency: follow-up of 290 patients.

BACKGROUND: Monopolar radiofrequency has been Food and Drug Administration approved for the noninvasive treatment of periorbital rhytides and wrinkles in 2002 and for full-face treatment in 2004. In order to establish the degree of side effects in our practice, a retrospective review was done. OBSERVATIONS: Seven hundred fifty-seven treatments of nonablative monopolar radiofrequency were done on 290 patients. Two hundred sixty-four patients were women (91%), and 26 were men (9%). Two hundred fifty-nine of these patients were treated for facial lifts. Patients were treated with an average energy setting of 81 J/cm(2). Treatments were all done with a 1-cm(2) tip that gives a 2.3-s pulse, and 11.49% of treatments were particularly painful for the patient. The appearance of second-degree burns occurred in 2.7% of the treatment sessions. Other less frequent adverse reactions were persistent erythema (1.22%), headache, scarring, edema, fat atrophy, burn in the return pad site, neuralgia, and facial palsy. The occurrence of facial palsy might be a coincidence. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison with other studies, we have found a very low incidence of posttreatment erythema and edema. On the other hand, the incidence of second-degree burns is somewhat higher. This might be due to the fact that in other studies higher energy settings have been used but without overlapping pulses. Monopolar radiofrequency is a safe method of treating the skin of the face and neck, and it should be done at moderated energy settings with no immediate overlapping in order to avoid overheating and undesirable side effects.