Evaluation of Coleman Lipostructure for Treatment of Facial Lipoatrophy in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Parameters Associated With the Efficiency of This Technique

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency of Coleman lipostructure in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). DESIGN: Open-label study and survey. SETTING: Ambulatory dermatosurgery department of a university hospital. PATIENTS: Thirty-three consecutive HIV-infected patients undergoing Coleman lipostructure between 2000 and 2001. INTERVENTIONS: Clinical examination, blood tests, and standardized photographs at baseline and 1 year after the lipostructure. MEAN OUTCOME MEASURES: Efficiency was assessed by the agreement of 3 independent medical specialists on facial lipodystrophy improvement after surgery and by patient satisfaction. RESULTS: Facial lipoatrophy was improved in 12 patients (36%; 95% confidence interval, 20%-52%) as judged by all 3 evaluators. Quantity of fat injected (P = .01) and a low serum triglyceride level before surgery (P = .03) were significantly associated with improvement of facial lipoatrophy. Of the 33 patients, 14 (43%) were very satisfied, 17 (50%) were partly satisfied, and 27 (81%) had a better quality of life. The most common comment was that the patient looked better and appeared less ill. CONCLUSION: Our 1-year evaluation of Coleman lipostructure for correction of facial lipoatrophy in HIV-infected patients proved the efficiency of this treatment when measured conservatively by agreement on improvement by 3 independent specialists and demonstrated a patient satisfaction rate of 93%.