Long Term Foreign Bodies

To the best of my knowledge, the Threadlift, using the Contour Threads, is no longer performed. The threads were removed from the market because sales had plummeted due to unsatisfactory results. There still are people who have these threads implanted, and some of these continue to have problems.
In the May 2008 issue of Dermatologic Surgery there is a report of a woman who had threads placed in her forehead to elevate her brow. After the procedure there was some elevation of the brow, and the threads were not visible. However, two years later the patient returned and the threads were clearly visible above her lateral eyebrows. The threads were surgically removed.

Long term placement of devices or products invites late complications. There is a new filler on the market, Artefill, that is marketed as a “permanent” filler. There has been limited adoption of this filler because people are concerned about the possibility of unwanted effects in the future. It is even possible that even without any change in the product, the facial anatomy may change to make the filler look unnatural.

It is true that permanent sutures have been left in place as part of facelift and MACS-lift procedures. These are, however, small in size compared to the area involved in the procedure, and these surgeries are now frequently  being done with absorbable sutures.

If physicians have concerns about long lasting implants, you, as a prospective patient, should also be concerned about the possibility of late problems. That's not to imply that this class of products is entirely suspect, but the persistence of a foreign material can sometimes be a two edged sword. It is certainly another factor to evaluate in making a decision.

Gerald N. Bock MD
California Skin & Laser Center
Stockton & Lodi, CA