Is There a Difference Between US and European Thread Lift?

The insertion technique may differ with the different kinds of threads. However the goal is usually the same to anchor the tissue with “barbs” then to lift and support the skin to a fixed point higher up on the face. Most available threads today will accomplish this.

The recovery time probably is not related to the device per se. The essential concept of using a barbed suture to support tisses has essentially met wtih much disappointment and therefore has been abandoned by most surgeons in the USA.,

Regarding:  "Is There a Difference Between US and European Thread Lift?
I'm 3 days post op, thread lift on cheeks done in Prague. Unlike many experiences posted here, bruising is minimal. I followed pre-op advice carefully, and I don't tend to bruise easily. But would that account for such significant differences in recovery time? My doctor explained that the bi-directional barbed thread is run through a thin, flexible tube inserted first which is then removed. The needle splits in 2 for easier manipulation after the first exit point. Is this a universal technique?"

Barbed sutures and Thread lifts have been with us for well over 10 years. Although they originated in the former Soviet Georgia, they became popular after techniques from various parts of the world (North Carolina, Singapore etc) flooded journals and scientific meetings.

The principles are the same: Draw the desired vector of pull. Place a long, hollow spinal needle under the skin, starting in the hair bearing scalp and come out the skin. Introduce the mono-filamentous barbed suture through the needle and have it come out the skin. Slowly remove the needle allowing contact between the suture and the soft tissues. After all the intended sutures are placed, each suture is pulled on and as it hooks up on the soft tissues, the facial structures are lifted to the desired height. At this point, the suture segment exiting the front skin is snipped off and the suture exiting the scalp is stitched deep in the scalp anchoring it.

The allure - Almost anybody regardless of their training can be seduced into doing this "operation".
The problem - Almost anybody regardless of their training has been seduced into doing this "operation" with a lot on unhappy patients.

WHY?
The sutures become infected. Become palpable (The "Banjo Strings" appearance). Become exposed (Spit). Loose their grasp regarding re-sagging and facial asymmetries. And More.

While I wish you the best of luck with your procedure, I am pessimistic. After a very warm reception in the US years ago, we soon found out that it did NOT leave up to its promises. The results, if any, were short lasting and that it produced a lot of disappointed and unhappy patients. As a result, most American Plastic surgeons do not perform this operation and it is performed by "wannabe" physicians.

Good Luck.

Dr. Peter Aldea