A long-term follow-up study of patients who underwent teatracyline injections for festoons revealed that 59% of patients saw improvement and 67% would repeat the procedure. Authors Brian H. Chon, MD, Catherine J, Hwang, MD, and Julian D. Perry, MD, of the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, invited all patients undergoing tetracycline injection for treatment of lower eyelid festoons at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, between 2008 and 2018 to participate in a questionnaire based on the FACE-Q checklist.
Of 102 patients who received tetracycline injection during the study period, 61 responsed to the questionnaire. The average follow-up time after injection was 3.6 years. Of the 61 respondents, 36 (59%) noted improvement in their festoons after treatment, and 27 of 33 noted that improvement occurred within two months of treatment. Overall, 40 of 60 respondents (67%) responded that they would consider repeating tetracycline treatment.
The most common adverse effects included discomfort (18%), swelling (15%) and bruising (13%). The authors noted that, although the majority of patients experienced improvement with an acceptable side-effect profile, “more data are needed to determine the optimal dose and frequency and to identify possible rare and/or significant side effects.”
The study, "Long-Term Patient Experience with Tetracycline Injections for Festoons," was published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (December 2020).
