Multicentric observational study of the possible side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine in relation to absorbable thread insertion.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination programs in Europe began in December 2020, and as the number of vaccinated people increased, more information emerged about the possible side effects of vaccines. Recently, some reports appeared around the association of adverse reactions following soft-tissue filler injections and the COVID-19 vaccines. This fact raised the concerns of esthetic practitioners regarding the possibility of the association of the COVID-19 vaccine and adverse effects in other esthetic treatments. Many of us wonder if botox injection, biostimulation, or other procedure could trigger the same or other adverse reactions after the COVID-19 vaccination. Many colleagues postpone esthetic treatments, canceling the appointments.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our investigation was to understand if any adverse reactions have been observed in the patients who underwent threads implantation before and after the vaccination.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four medical centers have collected the data of the patients treated with absorbable threads before the vaccination and after vaccination for COVID-19. The dossiers of 190 patients with a mean age of 50.4 years were evaluated. Three questionnaires were administered 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after thread implantation.

RESULTS: There were no adverse reactions in the groups of patients under monitoring. Only one patient presented signs of inflammation and infection, but they are more probably attributable to the contamination during thread insertion.

CONCLUSIONS: No patients treated with absorbable threads developed adverse events in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine. The only case of inflammation is attributable probably to the contamination of the thread during the procedure.