Complicated Facial Fillers: Management Algorithm

BACKGROUND: Various materials have been developed as skin fillers to correct wrinkles of the face. Dermal fillers are classified based on their biodegradability into bioresorbable versus nonbioresorbable. All dermal fillers have a potential risk of complications, which can be classified as early and late onset events. Among all the complications of filler injections, inflammatory nodules and granulomas are the most annoying and disfiguring. The purpose of the study was to provide a surgical treatment algorithm that allows us to deal with the complications of facial fillers through three surgical techniques. METHODS: Thirty-one patients with complaints of facial contour abnormalities after filler injection, three surgical techniques were adopted according to the presenting case including face lift incision, needle aspiration and intraoral excision after preoperative preparation of the case with postoperative follow-up for 6 months. RESULTS: Among our studied patients treated by these surgical techniques, dissection was difficult owing to the fibrosis and the granulomatous reaction post complicated filler injection. There were two cases of hematoma, 1 case of seroma, and 1 case of facial nerve injury that improved after 4 months, in which marked improvement of facial contour and skin quality was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the facelift technique as a surgical treatment for post filler complication granuloma excision provides a useful and satisfactory method for patients complaining of major facial deformities following repeated complicated filler injections. Despite being more difficult than other techniques it is more satisfactory in facial rejuvenation post complicated facial fillers.