Complications of thread methods: why they arise and how to deal with them

Thread methods are widely used in aesthetic medicine today. These are minimally invasive procedures that can effectively tighten the skin and return the patient to a younger and more attractive appearance. However, like any other injection procedures, thread methods can also have certain negative consequences. About why complications of thread methods may occur, and how to deal with them – Giorgi Sulamanidze, Candidate of Medical Sciences, specialist in plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery, developer of Aptos methods, spoke in an exclusive interview for estet-portal.com.

What complications of thread methods do aesthetic medicine specialists face in their practice?

I can tell you that – these are fairly simple procedures. These are injection methods that are not associated with surgical manipulation, respectively, the complications of thread methods are minimal, and in practice they are quite rare. But despite this, there are many different thread lift products on the market today, and many different methods of applying them. But the training of doctors suffers, that is, many companies provide a product, but at the same time they do not provide any scientific basis, explanations, and do not teach the doctors themselves how to properly apply these threads. Therefore, complications of thread methods, unfortunately, still occur, and they are already more common than after other injection procedures that are known to doctors, and they use them quite often in their practice.

The most common and simple complications of thread methods – these are irregularities, asymmetries and superficially drawn threads.

Most often, this is due to the fact that the doctor used the wrong technique, and also simply to the fact that injection techniques are accompanied by tissue trauma, because we use needles or cannulas to pass the threads. In the rehabilitation period, just a few days after the procedure, such problems go away on their own and do not require any intervention from the doctor. But there are also more difficult cases, for example, when the doctor holds the thread superficially and chooses the wrong point for fixation - irregularities can persist. But with the right intervention in the next few days after the procedure, with a simple massage in this area, which should be done by a specialist, we can straighten out these bumps, and solve the problem quite easily.

What methods of prevention of complications of thread methods do you consider the most effective?

The easiest way to prevent complications – it is to learn, to choose the right patient, to perform the procedure correctly, to supervise and prompt patients correctly, how they should behave after the procedure, and, most importantly, the right products and the right methods of using them. You should not immediately chase after an innovation that has just been thrown onto the market, and, at the same time, it has no scientific evidence base. It's better that we, surgeons and dermatocosmetologists, will use those methods that have been tested, have a lot of certificates in various countries, are time-tested and give good results. Naturally, new methods always come into practice, but you don't have to learn from your patients. It is better to see how these methods will be applied in other practice, to practice on various cadaver classes,

What should a specialist do if complications of thread methods still arise?

In our case, in our training courses, we always devote some time to solving problems with a thread lift. Most often, our training takes place in two days, and half of the second day we talk about complications, how to deal with them, and how to prevent them. Complications should not be feared, this is medicine, and they will always be in our practice, there is no way without it.

It is impossible to completely avoid complications, most importantly – be able to prevent them, and be able to deal with them.

And if we know how to do it right, we will very easily cope with any complications, and practically get rid of their possible manifestation.

Read also:

The present and future of threadlifting: the role of thread methods in aesthetic medicine