IntroductionBarbed suture lifting is a minimally invasive surgical technique for facial rejuvenation. This study examined the efficacy and associated risks with this procedure, using a new synthetic, monofilament suspension thread named “Happy Lift™ Revitalizing” (Promoitalia International S.r.l, Naples, Italy).MethodsAll the patients had average aging signs and required a lifting of modest degree. A total of 37 thread lifts were performed over a 24-month period.ResultsIn the majority of patients (89%), the results obtained were considered satisfactory. The incidence of complications was low. Only 6% of the patients had slight post-operation asymmetry that was easily corrected. Minor complications experienced by patients included small ecchymosis (62%), mild erythema (40%), small hemorrhage (25%), mild transitory esthesia (6%) and mild post-operation tumefaction (40%). Histopathological and ecographic analyses were performed on the treated skin of selected patients, demonstrating that the lifting effect is guaranteed and fortified by the cutaneous reaction that appears along the length of the thread.ConclusionThread lift with “Happy Lift™ Revitalizing” is a safe procedure associated with minor complications, when performed on cohorts of patients requiring a facial lifting of modest degree.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13555-014-0041-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: Lipofilling is a cosmetic surgical procedure that consists in the withdrawal of a small quantity of fat tissue from a suitable anatomic area and the reimplantation of this tissue in another corporeal district in the same individual, so as to obtain a filling effect. Recently, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) have been isolated in the aspirates. These are pluripotent mesenchymal stem cells that are able to differentiate in mature adipose cells or other adult mesenchymal cells after paracrine or autocrine hormonal stimulations, thus favoring a longer survival of the implanted tissues. Methods: In this article, we have defined a new method for liposuction (Prolipostem®), where the ADSCs are recovered and mixed with the suctioned adipose tissue derived from the abdominal fat, before the reimplantation. Results: We have demonstrated by immunocytochemistry the presence of ADSCs in the adipose tissue taken with Prolipostem® from the abdominal fat and the ability of these ADSCs to differentiate in mature adipose cells in vitro. Conclusions: The possibility to enrich the tissue to be implanted with ADSCs would assure a longer survival of the cells implanted and a regeneration of the host tissue thanks to growth and angiogenic stimuli induced by the ADSCs.