Physician survey on pre-/postprocedure measures for injectable treatments

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Aesthetic Medicine
• Clinical Practice

Background:

• Aesthetic injectables, including soft tissue fillers and neurotoxins, represent a multi-billion dollar market in the U.S.
• Over 2.6 million injectable procedures were performed in 2018 alone.
• Adverse events (AEs) following aesthetic injectables range from mild bruising to severe infections, with limited research on peri-procedural risk mitigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate current peri-procedural practices among aesthetic clinicians.
• To identify clinician approaches to pre- and post-treatment measures for injectable procedures.
• To explore potential future strategies for peri-procedural care in aesthetic medicine.

Main Methods:

• An electronic survey was distributed to experienced aesthetic clinicians.
• The survey gathered data on clinician demographics, specialty, injectable devices used, and current peri-procedural protocols.
• Inquiries were made regarding future considerations for peri-procedural interventions.

Main Results:

• Most clinicians do not utilize prophylactic topical or systemic antimicrobials or topical antivirals.
• Approximately 65% of clinicians administer prophylactic systemic antivirals for patients with a history of herpes simplex virus.
• While over 70% recommend over-the-counter wound repair products post-procedure, there is significant product diversity and no consensus.

Conclusions:

• There is a current absence of standardized peri-procedural practices in aesthetic injectable treatments.
• Development of best-practice algorithms for peri-procedural care is ongoing.
• Further research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines for minimizing AEs.