In the January 2018 issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine, dermatologist Daniel P. Friedmann, MD, et al, shared the cases of five patients who experienced serious adverse events following treatment at the authors' practices with microfocused ultrasound (MFUS, Ultherapy). The patients developed blistering, erosion/ulceration, cutaneous or subcutaneous tissue edema with resulting atrophy and/or cutaneous necrosis following a single session of MFUS.
The authors noted that, “Despite their rarity, serious adverse events secondary to MFUS are nevertheless possible and may be underreported. Early management of complications includes local wound care, patient reassurance, and topical corticosteroids and/or pulsed-dye laser to mitigate inflammatory sequelae. Other cosmetic and surgical therapies should be utilized when conservative measures have failed.”
Image copyright Getty Images
