Real-World Experience With Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum-aaes for Buttock and Thigh Cellulite: Focus on Administration and Safety Profile

Aesthet Surg J Open Forum. 2023 Feb 20:5:ojad014. doi: 10.1093/asjof/ojad014. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Background: Collagenase clostridium histolyticum-aaes (CCH-aaes) is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe buttock cellulite in adult women.

Objectives: To report on real-world experience with CCH-aaes in the treatment of buttock and thigh cellulite.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records from a single treatment center.

Results: The population comprised 28 consecutively treated women; mean age was 40.5 years (range, 23-56 years) and mean body mass index was 25.9 kg/m2 (range, 19.6-41.0 kg/m2). Treatment areas were buttocks only (78.6% of patients), thighs only (10.7%), or both buttocks and thighs (10.7%). Most patients (89.3%) were treated in 2 areas (buttocks or thighs) at each visit; however, 3 patients were treated in 4 areas. At each session, the CCH-aaes dose was 0.07 mg per dimple (0.3 mL of 0.23 mg/mL for buttock cellulite; 1.5 mL of 0.046 mg/mL for thigh cellulite). The mean number of treatment sessions was 2.6 (range, 1-4) for buttock cellulite and 2.5 (range 1-3) for thigh cellulite. The mean number of dimples treated was 11.5 (range, 3-17) per buttock, 11.0 (range, 1-14) per thigh, and 23.4 (range, 8-32) overall per treatment session. Injection site-related adverse events of special interest were experienced by all 28 patients: bruising (100%), edema (96.4%), tenderness (85.7%), nodules (39.3%), pruritus (32.1%), and hyperpigmentation indicative of hemosiderin staining (7.1%). Mean duration of injection-site bruising was 8.8 days (range, 2-15 days).

Conclusions: CCH-aaes is an effective, well-tolerated, minimally invasive treatment option for buttock and thigh cellulite in women.