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Assessment of Long-term Results

Rima F. Abraham, MD; Robert J. DeFatta, MD, PhD; Edwin F. Williams III, MD

Arch Facial Plast Surg. 2009;11(3):178-183.

Objective  To evaluate the long-term success of the thread-lift procedure for facial rejuvenation.

Methods  Thirty-three patients underwent a thread-lift procedure alone or in combination with other facial rejuvenation procedures to the brow, midface, jowl, and neck. Ten patients underwent thread-lifts only, and 23 had thread-lifts with other procedures. Ten additional patients having had non–thread-lift rejuvenation procedures, including lipotransfer, chemical peels, and rhytidectomies, were randomly designated as controls. The mean follow-up period was 21 months (range, 12-31 months). Photodocumentation was obtained at each visit. Long-term aesthetic results were evaluated by 4 independent, blinded, and board-certified facial plastic surgeons. Each result was graded on a scale of 0 to 3, with 0 indicating no change; 1, minimal improvement; 2, moderate improvement; and 3, considerable improvement. The population was divided into 3 groups for comparison. Two-tailed t test (P = .05) was used for statistical analysis of aesthetic outcomes.

Results  Although aesthetic improvement was noted in all groups at 1 month, measurable results persisted to the end of the study for all but the group that underwent the thread-lift procedure only. Aesthetic improvement scores of the non–thread-lift control group were better than the group that underwent thread-lift only. Similarly, when the thread-lift was combined with other procedures, scores were better than when thread-lift was used alone. Statistical significance was demonstrated in both of these comparisons (P < .01).

Conclusions  The thread-lift provides only limited short-term improvement that may be largely attributed to postprocedural edema and inflammation. Our results objectively demonstrate the poor long-term sustainability of the thread-lift procedure. Given these findings, as well as the measurable risk of adverse events and patient discomfort, we cannot justify further use of this procedure for facial rejuvenation.

Author Affiliations: Division of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Section for Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York (Drs Abraham, DeFatta, and Williams), and Williams Center Plastic Surgery Specialists, Latham, New York (Drs DeFatta and Williams).