Barbed PDO Thread Face Lift: A Case Study of Bacterial Complication

Procedures with polydioxanone (PDO) threads are increasingly used for aesthetic indications. To date, eight cases of serious complications following the use of PDO threads have been published. In this case report, we present a case of a serious bacterial complication after a procedure with four PDO threads. A 52-year-old female patient presented to our center 1 month after undergoing the procedure at another center. Despite early symptoms, no treatment had previously been implemented. Perforating abscesses were found along the course of the threads. After 5 days of antibiotic therapy (amoxicillin 875 mg and clavulanic acid 125 mg p.o. every 12 hours), the threads were surgically removed due to skin rippling. During the procedure, the threads were found to be fragile, and several incisions were necessary to remove them. After 1 month, no signs of inflammation were reported. However, persistent deformities occurred due to delayed treatment implementation. Bacterial complications seem to be a typical complication following the procedure with PDO threads. PDO threads can be difficult to remove due their fragility. The possible need for surgical removal of the threads should be considered when selecting areas for application.