ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Nasolabial fold (NLF) depression can affect the facial appearance of patients to some extent and increase their psychological burdens. In recent years, autologous fat grafting (AFG) combined with botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injection (AFG + BTX-A injection) has been gradually applied in the treatment of patients with NLF depression. Although studies have been conducted on the efficacy and safety of AFG + BTX-A injection in treating NLF depression, the experimental design, observational indicators, and sample enrollment criteria vary remarkably, making it difficult to draw convincing and consistent conclusions. Thus, further relevant research is warranted. AIM: To assess the esthetic improvement, efficacy, and safety of AFG + BTX-A injections in patients with NLF depression. METHODS: This study included 60 patients with NLF depression who were treated in our hospital from February 2019 to April 2021. These patients were categorized into control (n = 30) and observation (n = 30) groups. The observation group received AFG + BTX-A injection, whereas the control group underwent AFG only. All patients were evaluated using the wrinkle severity rating scale (WSRS) and global aesthetic improvement scale. The compactness of facial contours, skin evaluation indexes, adverse reactions, and satisfaction of the two groups were evaluated 3 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The WSRS scores of the observation group at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). Three months postoperatively, facial fine lines and pores showed obvious improvement and the skin index score was higher in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). The compactness of facial contours was better in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, no remarkable differences were noted in the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions such as facial stiffness, facial asymmetry, facial bruising, and facial concavity inequality (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: AFG + BTX-A injection is a highly safe, cost-effective, effective, and long-lasting treatment for NLF depression with high esthetic value, which should be promoted in the future.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the clinical outcomes of personalized polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implant in the correction of nasolabial fold depression.Methods:A total of 30 patients with nasolabial fold depression (5 males, 25 females, aged 26 to 52 years, mean 36.3 years) admitted to the Affiliated Friendship Plastic Hospital of Nanjing Medical University who want to undergo nasolabial fold augmentation from January 2019 to January 2021. All patients underwent CBCT scan and three-dimensional simulation, the personalized PEEK implant was designed and produced with CAD/CAM technique, the personalized PEEK was implanted during the operation. The patients were followed up for 3-12 months, and the wrinkle score and satisfaction were compared before operation and 3 months and 6 months after operation.Results:The depressions of nasolabial fold were significantly improved in all patients, and there were no complications such as hematoma and infection after operation. During the follow-up, there was no implant displacement or exposure, and the effect was stable and lasting. The scores of wrinkles at 3 months after operation (2.30±0.47) and 6 months after operation (2.17±0.38) were significantly lower than those before operation (4.03±0.67), and the scores of satisfaction were significantly higher than those before operation ( P<0.05). The scores of satisfaction at 3 months after operation (3.97±0.56) and 6 months after operation (4.23±0.57) were significantly higher than those before operation (1.70±0.60). The difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:3D printing personalized PEEK prosthesis is effective in correcting nasolabial fold depression, and it is safe and stable, so it is recommended for clinical application.