The Impact of Facial Lipofilling on Patient-Perceived Improvement in Facial Appearance and Quality of Life

Abstract

An investigation of the effect of facial lipofilling on patient's satisfaction is a challenging and ongoing research area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the impact of aesthetic intervention on self-perceived improvement in facial appearance and quality of life (QoL) after 1- and 6-month follow-ups. In the period from October 1, 2014, to March 1, 2015, a total of 63 consecutive subjects who underwent a facial lipofilling were included in the study. The satisfaction with facial appearance was estimated by using the Satisfaction with Facial Appearance Overall scale. QoL was assessed by using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms was quantified by using the Hamilton depression and anxiety rating scales. The self-esteem was assessed by Rosenberg self-esteem scale. The average Satisfaction with Facial Appearance Overall scale score at baseline was 45.5 ± 13.0, while this score reached values of 84.5 ± 16.2 after 1 month (Z = -6.744, p < 0.001) and 82.7 ± 12.6 after 6 months (Z = -6.545, p < 0.001) of follow-up. The mean change of Satisfaction with Facial Appearance Overall scale score from baseline to 1-month follow-up was 38.9 ± 21.2 and from baseline to 6-month follow-up was 37.1 ± 18.9. Statistically significant improvement in QoL at each subsequent time point, compared with those at baseline, was detected for all domains of the SF-36 except for subscales of physical functioning and pain. It has been highlighted that advanced social life was strongly associated with improvement in satisfaction with facial appearance, better self-esteem, and lower level of anxiety and depression during the period of follow-up after facial lipofilling. The results of this study supported the hypothesis that the level of self-confidence and mental health-related QoL could be significantly improved following facial lipofilling treatment.

Autologous Fat Transfer for Facial Rejuvenation: A Systematic Review on Technique, Efficacy, and Satisfaction

“…All articles described, to some extent, the methods of preparing and grafting the adipose tissue (Table 2 ). 9 , 35 , 36 , 38 – 52 Eleven out of 14 studies used a local form of anesthesia, 9 , 36 , 38 – 42 , 44 – 46 , 48 , 49 , 51 , 52 and 3 authors preferred general anesthesia. 35 , 47 , 50 The abdomen was the primary donor site in most studies with fat from the thigh and flank area used in cases of insufficient supply.…”

“…The infiltration cannula size was poorly reported, with 3 studies 35 , 40 , 46 reporting using 1-, 2-, or 3-mm cannulas, respectively, and the infiltration solution varied widely among studies. Ten studies 9 , 35 , 40 , 41 , 45 – 50 (additionally) used some form of local anesthetic in combination with different solutions of epinephrine and saline before harvesting by way of manual aspiration in 16 of the 18 reporting studies. Harvesting was done by 2–3 mm cannulas, mostly blunt with 2–3 holes and attached to 10–60 ml Luer lock syringes.…”

“…Harvesting was done by 2–3 mm cannulas, mostly blunt with 2–3 holes and attached to 10–60 ml Luer lock syringes. Preparation of the adipose tissue was done solely by centrifugation in 5 studies 9 , 36 , 44 , 45 , 50 ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 rpm over 1–3 minutes spans, with the studies of Asilian et al 48 and Botti et al 35 comparing centrifugation and washing between groups. Furthermore, 6 studies 38 – 41 , 43 , 51 used combinations of preparations in a none-comparative study design.…”

“… 7 , 8 As a result, it was not long before autologous fat transfer (AFT) or lipofilling found its way as a potentially superior facial filler with numerous studies reporting on the promising results besides minimal side effects. 9 – 11 Numerous reviews and articles describing the authors preferred method for facial AFT currently exist, 12 – 26 but they generally lack a comprehensive study design. Furthermore, the abundance of anatomical facial zones further complicates pooling of data, with most authors describing its appliance to 1 or 2 facial regions.…”

Are Cosmetic Procedures Comparable to Antidepressive Medication for Quality-of-Life Improvements? A Systematic Review and Controlled Meta-Analysis

“…While studies utilizing measures, including EQ-5D, Q-LES-QA, SF-12, WHO-5, and RSES, were identified, there were either too few or numerical data not reported. The SF-36 was the only validated measure that was identified in both antidepressive and cosmetic studies that met all the exclusion and inclusion criteria, yielding five cosmetic [18][19][20][21][22] and eight antidepressant SF-36 articles 13,14,23-28 (►Fig. 1).…”