What it means for a patient
- Barbed threads can lift sagging facial tissue without the incisions of a facelift.
- Follow-up ranged from 2 to 30 months, so how long the lift lasts for most patients is not clear from the abstract.
- The abstract reports thread failure but no other complications and no measurement of how much lift occurred.
- Ask for long-term results and complication rates before choosing threads over a facelift.
Why this paper matters
It described APTOS barbed threads for lifting sagging facial tissue without a facelift, in 186 patients. The abstract reports thread failure but no measured lift.
Overview
Facial aging leads to loss of structural support. The authors set out to support sagging facial tissue without a facelift. They cut many small notches along polypropylene sutures to make them grip tissue, named them APTOS threads, and used them in 186 patients.
Findings
- Polypropylene sutures modified with many notches along their length; the sharp edges hold tissue.
- 186 patients treated.
- The threads lifted various sagging areas of the face and improved facial contour.
- Improvement persisted in most patients over follow-up of 2 to 30 months.
- The thread failed in 4 patients, reported as 2.5%.
- The authors describe the method as simple and time-saving, avoiding scars and implants.
- The abstract gives no measured lift, complication rates beyond thread failure, or comparison group.
Terms
- Ptosis: sagging or drooping of tissue.
- Polypropylene suture: a permanent plastic stitch material.
- APTOS threads: the authors' notched polypropylene threads used to lift sagging tissue.
- Thread lift: lifting facial tissue with barbed threads placed under the skin.
- Barb (dent): a small notch cut into the thread that grips tissue.
- Facial contour: the outline and shape of the face.