Patient satisfaction of microfocused ultrasound treatments on the face and neck laxity: A narrative review.

BACKGROUND

Microfocused ultrasound with visualization (MFU-V) delivers focused ultrasound energy to heat tissue and has emerged as a fast and effective noninvasive method for treating skin laxity. After obtaining approval in 2009 by the Food and Drug Administration, satisfactory feedback was recorded using several scoring systems for MFU-V treatment for facial and neck laxity.

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy and satisfaction rates of MFU-V for facial and neck laxity treatment by providing a basis for developing a validated scoring system for MFU-V treatment.

METHOD: A constrictive survey was carried out by selecting relevant publications on MFU-V treatment of facial and neck laxity using PubMed, Medline, and Embase electronic databases from January 2017 to March 2022.

RESULTS

Of the 11 original articles used in this review, the majority of the scoring methods used were the subjective global aesthetic improvement scale and the 5-point scale rating global aesthetic improvement in appearance. Around half of the patients were described as much improved or very much improved on days 30 and 90, while most returned to baseline on Day 360. Most of the adverse events reported were mild bruising, redness, and pain. None of the patients reported serious adverse events. A burn occurred in one case because of improper application of the probe.

CONCLUSION

The MFU-V provides excellent and promising responses for treating facial and neck laxity. A few mild events were observed, such as erythema, pain, edema, and injection-site induration, all of which resolved within approximately 2-3 days.