Suture Lifting: A Review of the Literature and Our Experiences

In the past 5 years, several absorbable sutures for use in minimally invasive suture lifts have appeared on the market. These newer sutures were preceded by several iterations of nonabsorbable counterparts, all of which were eventually removed from the market because of complications.

This review will provide a history of suture lift experience, review the published evidence on the safety and efficacy of currently available absorbable suture lift materials, and detail the clinical experience of the authors using these products.

A review of relevant clinical terms was performed on PUBMED and MEDLINE databases. All articles were reviewed, and further studies examined from citations of selected articles. Articles that focused on suture lifting using extensive dissection were excluded.

Twelve studies detailed the results of absorbable suture lifting largely through patient satisfaction surveys or retrospective chart review of cases. No randomized controlled studies were available.

Data on suture lifting are limited, with largely descriptive and retrospective case reports available in the literature entailed Oxford Centre evidence-based medicine Levels 2a to 5. Based on the available data, suture lifting appears to be safe and well tolerated, with patient satisfaction similar to or above that reported for other noninvasive lifting and tightening procedures. However, due to the lack of randomized controlled trials, the authors give the suture lifting Strength of Recommendation Level C. Further controlled studies are necessary to determine efficacy, longevity, and safety of this technology.