Evaluating the Compartment-Specific Effects in Superficial Facial Fat Compartments After Thread-Lifts by the Tensiometer and FACE-Q

BACKGROUND: The thread-lifts have been popularized because they offered minimally invasive procedures of facial rejuvenation, but not evaluated by the objective assessment system. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the compartment-specific effects after thread-lifts by the tensiometer and FACE-Q. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study was performed on 369 consecutive patients undergoing the thread-lifts with V-Loc devices (n = 173) and the limited scar face lifts (n = 196), with the mean follow-up period of 32.2 ± 5.2 months, between January 2014 and December 2015. Two hundred-seventy patients had intraoperative tension measurements performed. In an online survey, the blinded study coordinator registered all data in 12 FACE-Q scales. RESULTS: The average age was 46.0 ± 10.1 years. The complication rate was 4.8%. The mean value of the tensions was 9.5 ± 1.9 N. Patients were better satisfied with the appearance of their marionette (44.3 ± 24.8) lifted by device 3&4 (10.1 ± 1.6 N), compared with satisfaction with the appearance of their nasolabial folds (37.9 ± 20.7) lifted by device 1&2 (8.7 ± 2.1 N). The satisfaction of patients of the 40s and 50s&60s was higher than that of patients of the 20s&30s with decision. The satisfaction of patients undergoing limited scar face lifts was higher than that of patients undergoing thread-lifts with social and psychological functions. CONCLUSIONS: The tension measurements correlate with compartment-specific effects and play the same role as the indicator between gravitational and volumetric theories, but the limited effectiveness of thread-lifts was found to look 2.3 years younger during a mean follow-up of 2.5 years. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3: [Image: see text]