Vision loss after cosmetic facial injections

Wednesday, April 2 2014 | 00 h 00 min | News

A study has found cases where injections of cosmetic dermal fillers in the face resulted in vision loss.

The article published online on March 6, 2014, in JAMA Ophthalmology reported three cases of patients who developed central retinal artery occlusion shortly after having received this type of injection.

A man in his thirties noticed field vision loss the day after getting an injection of hyaluronic acid. A woman in her early sixties presented with severe vision loss the same day she had an injection of autologous fat into the forehead. Finally, a woman in her forties suffered total vision loss in her right eye after receiving an injection of bovine collagen and polymethacrylate microspheres into the forehead.

The researchers explain that when a high-pressure injection is made in this area of the face, the injected substance can hit the external carotid vessels with such force that it flows backward into the internal carotid and into the eye.

“The risk is very, very low, but the risk is not zero,” said the lead author. “I just worry that often risks are minimized, and when something bad happens, it catches everybody by surprise.” She hopes that patients will receive information about the risk, so they can make an informed decision.

Source:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/821639_print

http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1838342