Management Patterns of Delayed Inflammatory Reactions to Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers: An Online Survey in Israel.

Background: Over the past few decades, soft tissue augmentation is ever-increasing, specifically hyaluronic acid (HA)-based filler injections. As the number of these procedures have risen, so have the adverse reactions. Delayed-type inflammatory reactions (DIRs) secondary to tissue fillers are typically classified according to the time of appearance post-procedure and have various presentations including nodules, abscesses, edema, and discoloration. Currently, the treatment of these complications varies among physicians.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and experience of practitioners in Israel who inject HA-based tissue fillers with respect to the management of late-onset procedural complications.

Materials And Methods: A survey regarding management and treatment of late-onset inflammatory reactions was sent to 1120 physicians and dentists in Israel who practice tissue filler injections.

Results: Three hundred thirty-four out of the 1120 practitioners replied to the questionnaire. The majority of respondents were dentists (group A) comprising 31% of all respondents. Group B accounted for 31% of injectors and consisted of dermatologists (19%) and plastic surgeons (12%), and group C (38%) accounted for all other practitioners; 48.2% of all injectors indicated that they have not previously encountered a DIR, whereas 11.4% responded that they have encountered more than 5 DIRs. In order to assess treatment management, we presented the injectors with a simulatory case of a woman with a late-onset complication. Most injectors referred the patient to the emergency department. When asked to establish a treatment plan, the majority of practitioners prescribed short-term oral steroids, ie, prednisone (35.3%). A limited number of patients were treated with intra-lesional hyaluronidase (31.4%) injection as only 34% of injectors kept hyaluronidase at their clinic.

Conclusion: The varied approach regarding the management of delayed type reactions to HA-based filler injections, reflected in our study, illustrates the existing ambivalence in the current literature regarding the management and therapy of late-onset complications.