Does Prior Treatment With Facial Injectables Increase the Risk of Rhytidectomy Complications?

[BACKGROUND] It is unknown whether facial injectable treatments before rhytidectomy increase the risk of surgical complications, and data on the safety of rhytidectomy after prior injectable (PI) treatments are essential for clinicians and patients.

[OBJECTIVE] The authors sought to determine whether facial injectable treatments increase complications from rhytidectomy surgery.

[MATERIALS AND METHODS] The authors performed a retrospective chart review of all patients who had a deep-plane rhytidectomy over a 15-month period. The authors recorded PIs comprising HA, calcium hydroxylapatite, and/or poly-l-lactic acid, or no prior injectables (NPI) to determine whether patients with prior facial injectables were at increased risk of complications after rhytidectomy.

[RESULTS] More than half of patients (57%) had received injectable treatments before surgery. Twenty five patients (24%) had complication after rhytidectomy. Of these, 17 had PI and 8 had NPI. The rate of complications among all PI patients was 17/106 (16%), and the rate of complications among all NPI patients was 8/106 (8%), which is not statistically significant p = .188.

[CONCLUSION] Their study demonstrates no significant increased risk of complications after rhytidectomy in patients with a history of facial injectable procedures. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study documenting the safety of rhytidectomy after PI procedures.