Every procedure involves a certain amount of risk and it is important that you understand these risks and the possible complications associated with them.
Every procedure has limitations. An individual’s choice to undergo this procedure is based on the comparison of the risk to potential benefit. Although the majority of patients do not experience the following, you should discuss each of them with your practitioner to make sure you understand the risks, potential complications, limitations, and consequences of Dermal Filler injections.
Normal Occurrences during Tissue Filler Injections
Bleeding and Bruising: It is possible to have a bleeding episode from a filler injection. Bruising in soft tissues may occur. Should you develop post-injection bleeding, it may require emergency treatment or surgery.
- Aspirin
- Anti-inflammatory medications
- Platelet inhibitors
- Anticoagulants
- Vitamin E
- Ginkgo balboa and other “herbs / homeopathic remedies”
may contribute to a greater risk of a bleeding problem. Do not take any of these for seven days before or after filler injections.
Swelling: Swelling (edema) is a normal occurrence following the injections. It decreases after a few days. If swelling is slow to resolve, medical treatment may be necessary.
Pain: Discomfort associated with injections is normal and usually of short duration.
Needle Marks: Visible needle marks from the injections occur normally and resolve in a few days.
Specific Risks of Filler Injections
Acne form skin eruptions can occur following the injection of tissue fillers. This generally resolves within a few days.
Skin rash, itching, tenderness and swelling may occur following injections. After treatment, you should minimize exposure of the treated area to excessive sun or UV lamp exposure and extreme cold weather until any initial swelling or redness has gone away. If you are considering laser treatment, chemical skin peeling or any other procedure based on a skin response after filler treatment, or you have recently had such treatments and the skin has not healed completely, there is a possible risk of an inflammatory reaction at the implant site.
Erythema in the skin occurs after injections. It can be present for a few days after the procedure.
Although infection following injection of tissue fillers is unusual, bacterial, fungal, and viral infections can occur. Herpes simplex virus infections around the mouth can occur following a tissue filler treatment. This applies to both individuals with a past history of Herpes simplex virus infections and individuals with no known history of Herpes simplex virus infections in the mouth area. Specific medications must be prescribed and taken both prior to and following the treatment procedure in order to suppress an infection from this virus. Should any type of skin infection occur, additional treatment including antibiotics may be necessary.
The injection of Dermal fillers is to correct wrinkles and soft tissue contour deficiencies which may not achieve the desired outcome in this case you may need additional injection of Dermal Filler.
The human face is normally asymmetrical in its appearance and anatomy. It may not be possible to achieve or maintain exact symmetry with tissue filer injections. There can be a variation from one side to the other in terms of the response to injection. This may require additional injections.
Deeper structures such as nerves and blood vessels may be damaged during the course of injection. Injury to deeper structures may be temporary or permanent.
Lumpiness can occur following the injection of fillers. This tends to smooth out over time. In some situations, it may be possible to feel the injected tissue filler material for long periods of time.
It may be possible to see any type of tissue filler material that was injected in areas where the skin is thin.
Painful masses in the skin and deeper tissues after a filler injection are extremely rare. Should these occur, additional treatments including surgery may be necessary. Fillers should not be used in areas with active inflammation or infections (e.g., cysts, pimples, rashes or hives).
The filler substance may migrate from its original injection site and produce visible fullness in adjacent tissue or other unintended effects.
It is very unusual to experience death of skin and deeper soft tissues after injections. Skin necrosis can produce unacceptable scarring. Should this complication occur, additional treatments, or surgery may be necessary.
As with all biologic products, allergic and systemic anaphylactic reactions may occur. Fillers should not be used in patients with a history of multiple severe allergies, severe allergies manifested by a history of anaphylaxis, or allergies to gram-positive bacterial proteins. Allergic reactions may require additional treatment.
There is the possibility that a systemic reaction could occur from either the local anaesthetic or epinephrine used for sensory nerve block anaesthesia when tissue filler injections are performed. This would include the possibility of light-headedness, rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), and fainting. Medical treatment of these conditions may be necessary.
Presence of antibodies to fillers may reduce the effectiveness of this material or produce a reaction in subsequent injections. The health significance of antibodies to Juvederm® tissue fillers is unknown.
It is extremely rare that during the course of injection, fillers could be accidentally injected into arterial structures and produce a blockage of blood flow. This may produce skin necrosis in facial structures or damage blood flow to the eye, resulting in loss of vision. The risk and consequences of accidental intravascular injection of fillers is unknown and not predictable.
Filler injections alone may not produce an outcome that meets your expectations for improvement in wrinkles or soft tissue depressions. There is the possibility of a poor or inadequate response from filler injection(s). Additional injections may be necessary. Surgical procedures or other treatments may be recommended in additional to additional treatments.
Fillers should not be used in patients with known susceptibility to keloid formation or hypertrophic scarring. The safety of patients has not been studied.
