Treating facial overfilled syndrome with impaired facial expression—Presenting clinical experience with ultrasound imaging

BACKGROUND: Facial overfilled syndrome is an adverse event following minimally invasive soft tissue filler injections. It presents in most cases as excess midfacial volume and/or as unnatural smile which is difficult to detect due to the absence of standardized evaluation methods. OBJECTIVE: To showcase how to identify, evaluate, and treat facial overfilled syndrome by utilizing facial ultrasound and simultaneous hyaluronidase injections. METHODS: Twenty-eight consecutive patients (26 females, 2 males) were enrolled in this study in which facial ultrasound was performed to evaluate the location previously implanted filler material. The position of the oral commissure was objectively measured in relation to bony landmarks, and the severity of lateral canthal lines was assessed by independent and blinded raters. RESULTS: The material was identified in 35.7% inside the subdermal fatty layer, in 28.6% inside the deep supra-periosteal fatty layer, in 10.7% inside the fibrous layer deep to the subdermal fatty layer, whereas in 25.0%, the product was not possible to locate clearly inside one specific layer. On average, 81.6 I.U. [range: 75-150] of hyaluronidase were injected. Lateral canthal line severity was before the treatment 2.28 (1.4) and was after the hyaluronidase treatment 2.02 (1.3) with p = 0.578. The position of the oral commissure increased by 0.60 cm in vertical and by 0.30 cm in horizontal directions (both p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Facial overfilled syndrome following aesthetic soft tissue filler injections can present as excess midfacial volume but also as unnatural smile. Targeted hyaluronidase injections into the culprit pockets inside the midfacial soft tissues have shown to re-establish a natural smile, to reduce excess midfacial volume, and to decrease lateral canthal line severity.