Clinical experience of poly-L-lactic acid injections for body contouring treatment

Introduction: Clinical data on body contouring with injectable poly-L-lactic acid are sparsely reported in published literature. This study describes the lead author's clinical experience using injectable poly-L-lactic acid for body contouring in various anatomic locations. Methods: Twenty consecutive patients undergoing body contouring treatments with poly-L-lactic acid were prospectively followed. All treatments were performed at a single clinic between February 2017 and February 2019. Treatment details such as reconstitution, injection volume and dosage were documented. Treatment response was assessed independently by patients and the treating physician. Adverse events were recorded. Results: Twenty patients (85% women) received injectable poly-L-lactic acid for body contouring treatments such as buttocks volumization, cellulite and skin quality treatment. In most patients (65%), poly-L-lactic acid was administered to correct postsurgical soft tissue deformities. Overall, patients had a mean of 5.1 treatment sessions in a mean of 1.4 anatomic locations. The most commonly treated anatomic locations were buttocks (58% of treatment sessions), thighs (20%) and abdomen (9%). Dosage and injection volume varied between patients depending on anatomic location and desired outcome. Most treatment sessions (86%) resulted in improvement of the treated area. Adverse events included bruising, oedema, numbness and tenderness. Nodule formation was recorded for one patient (5%). Conclusion: According to the lead author's clinical experience, poly-L-lactic acid injection is well tolerated and can achieve good aesthetic outcomes when used for body contouring in appropriate patients. Preliminary data suggest that poly-L-lactic acid injection may be a viable nonsurgical technique for correcting postsurgical soft tissue deformities.