Complications of Injected Exogenous Growth Factor for Cosmetic Facial Rejuvenation: A Case Series and Sequential Therapy.

BACKGROUND: Exogenous growth factor presents promising soft tissue regeneration, but the complications from injectable exogenous growth factor seem to be growing. However, there is no detailed summary of complications and sequential treatment protocols. It is noted that the injection of exogenous growth factor into the soft tissue is an unreasonable or even illegal procedure, which could cause uncontrollable tissue growth and some other complications. METHODS: A total of 65 patients underwent analysis retrospectively for complications related to the injection of exogenous growth factor from 2017to 2022 at Xijing Hospital in China. Initially the symptoms mainly consisted of redness, skin temperature arisen, itching, tissue hypertrophy, localized swelling, mass, and lump, with later manifestations including ulcerations and purulent discharge. A comprehensive treatment scheme was formulated based on the location and size of the lumps as well as the type of complication. Post-treatment satisfaction was evaluated over a mean 16-month follow-up (range 6-39 months). RESULTS: A total of 65 patients participated in the treatment. Drug injection therapy was initially performed on all patients. If injections were not effective, surgical treatment (debridement/excision/liposuction) was performed. Twenty-eight patients were managed with intralesional injections alone. Patients reported improved satisfaction in 23 cases (82.14%), full symptom resolution in 3 cases (10.72%), and no improvement in 2 cases (7.14%). Surgery was required for 37 patients. Postoperative improved satisfaction was reported in 30 cases (81.08%), full symptom resolution was recorded in 4 cases (10.82%), and no improvement was seen in 3 cases (8.10%). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the management of complications arising from exogenous growth factor injections through the implementation of a sequential therapy approach. Specifically, this approach involves the initial administration of drug injection therapy, and if drug injection therapy proves ineffective, then surgical treatment is pursued. In conclusion, the injection of exogenous growth factors into soft tissues should be forbidden. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: 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 .

Ophthalmic Complications of Periorbital and Facial Aesthetic Procedures: A Literature Review.

The emergence and popularity of cosmetic facial procedures may lead to significant ophthalmic complications such as ocular motility dysfunction and visual disability. Here, we present a scoping review to identify common ophthalmic complications in some facial plastic surgeries and cosmetic injections, and to develop clinical approaches for prophylaxis and management in terms of direct attention and awareness of non-ophthalmologists toward such scenarios and appropriate intervention. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The following keywords were used to search PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: "facial laser", "facial fillers", "facial injections", "hyaluronic acid", "local facial injections of botulinum toxin", "rhinoplasty", "blepharoplasty blindness", "ophthalmoplegia", "diplopia", "ptosis", "ophthalmic artery occlusion", "posterior ciliary artery occlusion", and "ocular ischemic syndrome". A total of 37 articles published between 1989 and 2021 were included, of which 21 were case reports. The most common ophthalmic complication was vision loss (0.0008%). The risk of ophthalmic complications including ocular pain, sudden unilateral or bilateral vision loss, flashes of light, ptosis, and ophthalmoplegia increase with injection in common anatomical regions like the glabella, nose, and supraorbital and nasolabial folds. The incidence of adverse events ranges from 5% to 18% in rhinoplasty. The most common complications after blepharoplasty were dry eye syndrome and diplopia, caused by eyelid ptosis. Eyelid, cornea, lens, and retina injuries are ophthalmic complications that occur after facial laser treatment. Ophthalmic complications after non-ophthalmic and cosmetic procedures are becoming increasingly common. The cumulative reported cases of ophthalmic complications after hyaluronic acid filler injection from 2016 to 2020 showed different types of adverse events, with the most common being decreased visual acuity, unilateral vision loss, and ptosis, with varying outcomes of each complication ranging from partial resolution to complete recovery. These complications must be recognized early, and prompt treatment must be established.

Long-Term Efficacy and Tolerability of a Medium G' HA Filler with Tri-Hyal Technology on the Rejuvenation of the Mobile Facial Zone.

Purpose: Injectable hyaluronic acid-based fillers are commonly used for the correction of skin contour irregularities and to smooth skin depressions formed by volume loss during the aging process. These fillers are particularly efficient to restore perioral skin depressions/wrinkles or to correct topographical anomalies. The European directives require a continuous evaluation of the performance of these medical devices, particularly for CE marked products. Methods: An 18-month prospective randomized single-blind study for the efficacy and safety of ART FILLER Universal (AFU) was performed on the lips, the nasolabial folds, and the marionettes lines. The evaluations were performed on 153 subjects enrolled in this study. The efficacy, the longevity, and the safety were evaluated for the injected areas via area specific clinical scoring after a single injection with the filler and with no re-touch. Results: We showed here that filler injection induced potent improvements of volume restoration after a single injection on all the treated areas. These beneficial properties of the filler were significant 3 weeks after injection and during the whole study period. Moreover, injections of the filler were well tolerated by the subjects. The recorded adverse events are routinely seen with HA fillers for face volume corrections, and most of these local reactions resolved within 14 days. Conclusion: AFU was well tolerated and showed a continuous efficacy for at least 18 months, in exploratory analyses.

Facial aesthetic minimally invasive procedure: More than just vanity, a social-psychological approach.

BACKGROUND: Due to the great importance of the face in social interaction, minimally invasive treatments can-besides their ability to rejuvenate and enhance beauty-also change the way facial impressions of a person are perceived. In recent literature, three main character traits (attractiveness, trustworthiness, and competence) and subdomains essential for facial perception were described. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether minimally invasive procedures truly influence different character traits when evaluated by independent, objective observers. METHODS: Photographs of n = 34 female faces before and after treatment with injectable fillers and botulinum toxin were rated by 393 individuals without aesthetic background with regards to different character traits on a 7-point Likert scale. Tests for dimensionality were performed, and composite scores of the impressions underlying each of the three dimensions were created and compared using within-subjects t tests. RESULTS: Treatments statistically significantly improved the overarching character trait domains attractiveness, trustworthiness, and competence in posttreatment photographs compared with pretreatment. Posttreatment ratings of the respective subdomains also showed a statistically significant difference compared with pretreatment photographs, with the exception of the subdomain dominance which failed to reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Impressions of facial attractiveness, trustworthiness, and competence can be improved by injectables while the naturalness of the face is left intact. An implication is that the improvement of traits highly relevant to social interaction will accommodate the patient's desires for beautification and rejuvenation.

Comparative clinical study for the efficacy and safety of two different hyaluronic acid-based fillers with Tri-Hyal versus Vycross technology: A long-term prospective randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Hyaluronic acid-based fillers have an immediate volumizing effect for the treatment of dermal contour deformities and to smooth dermal depressions formed by the loss of volume. A previous study on 2016-2018 has shown the efficacy and safety of the HA-based filler ART FILLER® Volume on the midface only, but not in a comparative manner. METHODS: In this context, an 18 months prospective randomized single-blind study of the non-inferiority of ART FILLER® Volume versus the reference product Juvéderm Voluma® was performed on the midface, temple, and jawline, and non-comparative study on the chin. The efficacy and the longevity were evaluated for the selected face areas via dedicated clinical scoring systems after a single filler injection without any re-touch or re-injection. The short- and long-term adverse effects were also recorded. RESULTS: The observations confirmed the non-inferiority of ART FILLER® Volume versus the reference product on the different injected areas. For both fillers, the beneficial effects on volumes restoration were maintained 18 months post-injection; however, these effects were diminished among the time. Furthermore, injections of Art Filler® Volume were well tolerated by the subjects and showed less acute side effects compared with the reference product that may be explained by a lower induction of inflammation.

Effect of urokinase thrombolytic therapy for optic artery and retinal artery occlusion caused by facial microinjection with hyaluronic acid and spontaneous retinal artery occlusion / 中华眼底病杂志

Objective@#To compare the clinical effects of urokinase thrombolytic therapy for optic artery occlusion (OAO) and retinal artery occlusion (RAO) caused by facial microinjection with hyaluronic acid and spontaneous RAO.@*Methods@#From January 2014 to February 2018, 22 eyes of 22 patients with OAO and RAO caused by facial microinjection of hyaluronic acid who received treatment in Xi'an Fourth Hospital were enrolled in this retrospective study (hyaluronic acid group). Twenty-two eyes of 22 patients with spontaneous RAO were selected as the control group. The BCVA examination was performed using the international standard visual acuity chart, which was converted into logMAR visual acuity. FFA was used to measure arm-retinal circulation time (A-Rct) and filling time of retinal artery and its branches (FT). Meanwhile, MRI examination was performed. There were significant differences in age and FT between the two groups (t=14.840, 3.263; P=0.000, 0.003). The differecens of logMAR visual acuity, onset time and A-Rct were not statistically significant between the two groups (t=0.461, 0.107, 1.101; P=0.647, 0.915, 0.277). All patients underwent urokinase thrombolysis after exclusion of thrombolytic therapy. Among the patients in the hyaluronic acid group and control group, there were 6 patients of retrograde ophthalmic thrombolysis via the superior pulchlear artery, 6 patients of retrograde ophthalmic thrombolysis via the internal carotid artery, and 10 patients of intravenous thrombolysis. FFA was reviewed 24 h after treatment, and A-Rct and FT were recorded. Visual acuity was reviewed 30 days after treatment. The occurrence of adverse reactions during and after treatment were observed. The changes of logMAR visual acuity, A-Rct and FT before and after treatment were compared between the two groups using ttest.@*Results@#At 24 h after treatment, the A-Rct and FT of the hyaluronic acid group were 21.05±3.42 s and 5.05±2.52 s, which were significantly shorter than before treatment (t=4.569, 2.730; P=0.000, 0.000); the A-Rct and FT in the control group were 19.55±4.14 s and 2.55±0.91 s, which were significantly shorter than before treatment (t=4.114, 7.601; P=0.000, 0.000). There was no significant difference in A-Rct between the two groups at 24 h after treatment (t=1.311, P=0.197). The FT difference was statistically significant between the two groups at 24 h after treatment (t=4.382, P=0.000). There was no significant difference in the shortening time of A-Rct and FT between the two groups (t=0.330, 0.510; P=0.743, 0.613). At 30 days after treatment, the logMAR visual acuity in the hyaluronic acid group and the control group were 0.62±0.32 and 0.43±0.17, which were significantly higher than those before treatment (t=2.289, 5.169; P=0.029, 0.000). The difference of logMAR visual acuity between the two groups after treatment was statistically significant (t=2.872, P=0.008). The difference in logMAR visual acuity before and after treatment between the two groups was statistically significant (t=2.239, P=0.025). No ocular or systemic adverse reactions occurred during or after treatment in all patients.@*Conclusions@#Urokinase thrombolytic therapy for OAO and RAO caused by facial microinjection with hyaluronic acid and spontaneous RAO is safe and effective, with shortening A-Rct, FT and improving visual acuity. However, the improvement of visual acuity after treatment of OAO and RAO caused by facial microinjection with hyaluronic acid is worse than that of spontaneous RAO.

Effect of urokinase thrombolytic therapy for optic artery and retinal artery occlusion caused by facial microinjection with hyaluronic acid and spontaneous retinal artery occlusion / 中华眼底病杂志

Objective To compare the clinical effects ofurokinase thrombolytic therapy for optic artery occlusion (OAO) and retinal artery occlusion (RAO) caused by facial microinjection with hyaluronic acid and spontaneous RAO.Methods From January 2014 to February 2018,22 eyes of 22 patients with OAO and RAO caused by facial microinjection of hyaluronic acid who received treatment in Xi'an Fourth Hospital were enrolled in this retrospective study (hyaluronic acid group).Twenty-two eyes of 22 patients with spontaneous RAO were selected as the control group.The BCVA examination was performed using the international standard visual acuity chart,which was converted into logMAR visual acuity.FFA was used to measure arm-retinal circulation time (A-Rct) and filling time of retinal artery and its branches (FT).Meanwhile,MRI examination was performed.There were significant differences in age and FT between the two groups (t=14.840,3.263;P=0.000,0.003).The differecens of logMAR visual acuity,onset time and A-Rct were not statistically significant between the two groups (t=0.461,0.107,1.101;P=0.647,0.915,0.277).All patients underwent urokinase thrombolysis after exclusion of thrombolytic therapy.Among the patients in the hyaluronic acid group and control group,there were 6 patients of retrograde ophthalmic thrombolysis via the superior pulchlear artery,6 patients of retrograde ophthalmic thrombolysis via the internal carotid artery,and 10 patients of intravenous thrombolysis.FFA was reviewed 24 h after treatment,and A-Rct and FT were recorded.Visual acuity was reviewed 30 days after treatment.The occurrence of adverse reactions during and after treatment were observed.The changes of logMAR visual acuity,A-Rct and FT before and after treatment were compared between the two groups using ttest.Results At 24 h after treatment,the A-Rct and FT of the hyaluronic acid group were 21.05 ± 3.42 s and 5.05± 2.52 s,which were significantly shorter than before treatment (t=4.569,2.730;P=0.000,0.000);the A-Rct and FT in the control group were 19.55 ± 4.14 s and 2.55± 0.91 s,which were significantly shorter than before treatment (t=4.114,7.601;P=0.000,0.000).There was no significant difference in A-Rct between the two groups at 24 h after treatment (t=l.311,P=0.197).The FT difference was statistically significant between the two groups at 24 h after treatment (t=4.382,P=0.000).There was no significant difference in the shortening time of A-Rct and FT between the two groups (t=0.330,0.510;P=0.743,0.613).At 30 days after treatment,the logMAR visual acuity in the hyaluronic acid group and the control group were 0.62± 0.32 and 0.43± 0.17,which were significantly higher than those before treatment (t=2.289,5.169;P=0.029,0.000).The difference of logMAR visual acuity between the two groups after treatment was statistically significant (t=2.872,P=0.008).The difference in logMAR visual acuity before and after treatment between the two groups was statistically significant (t=2.239,P=0.025).No ocular or systemic adverse reactions occurred during or after treatment in all patients.Conclusions Urokinase thrombolytic therapy for OAO and RAO caused by facial microinjection with hyaluronic acid and spontaneous RAO is safe and effective,with shortening A-Rct,FT and improving visual acuity.However,the improvement of visual acuity after treatment of OAO and RAO caused by facial microinjection with hyaluronie acid is worse than that of spontaneous RAO.

Oclusión arterial retinal y trauma ocular penetrante por procedimientos estéticos faciales / Retinal arterial occlusion and penetrating ocular trauma by facial aesthetic procedures

Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas y el resultado visual de un grupo de pacientes con complicaciones de procedimientos estéticos faciales que acudieron a consulta a la clínica de oftalmología de Cali. Diseño y Métodos: Estudio observacional descriptivo serie de casos. Resultados: Nueve casos, seis mujeres y tres hombres con edad media de 45 años (R: 25-65 años). Seis pacientes con complicaciones vasculares de rellenos faciales. Una obstrucción de la arteria oftálmica, dos de arteria central de la retina y tres de rama arterial. Tres casos de trauma penetrante con aguja durante anestesia para tatuaje palpebral con agudeza visual de PL, CD y NPL y diagnóstico de endoftalmitis, hemorragia vítrea y atrofia óptica, respectivamente, los dos primeros fueron tratados con cirugía. Todos los procedimientos fueron realizados por cosmetólogas. A excepción de un caso, todos tuvieron agudeza visual peor de 20/400 al final del seguimiento. Tres casos fueron NPL. Conclusiones: La pérdida de la visión severa e irreversible es una complicación rara pero devastadora de procedimientos estéticos faciales. Visiones finales peores de 20/400 ocurrieron en 88 % del total de los casos y 33.3% quedan NPL. Debido a que no existe tratamiento efectivo para el embolismo por sustancias diferentes al ácido hialurónico, la principal medida es la prevención.

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics and visual outcome of a group of patients with complications of facial aesthetic procedures who came to the Cali ophthalmology clinic. Design and Methods: Observational study descriptive series of cases. Results: Nine cases, six women and three men with mean age of 45 years (range: 25-65 years). Six patients with vascular complications of facial fi llings. One of them presented occlusion of the ophthalmic artery, two have occlusion of central artery of the retina and three have occlusion of arterial branch. Three cases of penetrating trauma with a needle during anesthesia for palpebral tattoo with visual acuity of LP, CF and NLP and diagnosis of endophthalmitis, vitreous hemorrhage and optic atrophy respectively, the first two were treated with surgery. Cosmetologists performed all procedures. With the exception of one case, all of the patients had visual acuity worse than 20/400 at the end of follow-up. Three cases were NLP. Conclusions: Severe and irreversible loss of vision is a rare but devastating complication of facial aesthetic procedures. Final worst visions of 20/400 occur in 88% of the total cases and 33.3% are NLPs. Because there is no effective treatment for embolism by substances other than hyaluronic acid, the main measure is prevention.

Evaluation of pain associated with facial injections using CoolSkin in rhytidectomy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of the CoolSkin(®) (Elbio, Seoul, Korea) skin-cooling device to reduce injection pain during rhytidectomy. METHOD: Nineteen patients underwent rhytidectomy using the CoolSkin at -4°C on the first side lateral injection. The second side was then started without the cooling. Patients were offered cooling if they desired it on the second side. Surveys were administered 24 hours after the procedure, comparing pain (scale 0-5) and investigating treatment preferences. Patient healing was tracked for 6 weeks. RESULTS: Mean pain score for the untreated side was 4.63 versus 2.37 for the CoolSkin-treated side (P < 0.001). All patients asked for the second side to be cooled, and 89% were in favor of the chilling procedure when surveyed 24 hours afterwards. Sixty eight percent of patients stated that this device reduced fear of future injections. No flap loss or healing sequelae were noted from device use. CONCLUSION: The CoolSkin device is an effective tool to reduce injection pain laterally during rhytidectomy.