Blindness, embolism, infection, skin necrosis due to unsafe beauty treatments

Viet Duc Friendship Hospital has recently received a series of serious complications due to unsafe filler injections.

Complete loss of vision in left eye

Among the cases of hospitalization due to complications after filler injections, there was a 29-year-old female patient in Hanoi . The patient was brought to the hospital with complete loss of vision in the left eye, pain in the eye socket and left half of the head, accompanied by weakness in the muscles of the eyeball and eyelid. The patient said that before being hospitalized, she had a cosmetic filler injection at home by an acquaintance (not a doctor). After the injection, she experienced severe pain, blurred vision and rapid loss of vision.

Female patient suffered from vascular occlusion in the left nasal and perioral area after filler injection at an unqualified facility

PHOTO: HA PHUONG

At Viet Duc Friendship Hospital , doctors determined that the patient had a blockage in the eye's vascular system and the central retinal artery, causing serious damage to the optic nerve. After treatment, the patient's health condition was temporarily stable. However, the patient 's left eye lost vision permanently.

Before the above case, on January 15, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital admitted a 14-year-old female student (Hanoi) in a state of severe vision loss in her left eye, swollen eyelids, drooping eyelids, and bruising on her forehead and bridge of her nose. The patient said that because she saw an advertisement on social media and learned about a quick and simple non-surgical nose lift with filler injections, she injected herself at home without any knowledge of safe medical procedures.

During the injection, the female student felt a sharp pain but thought it was a "normal feeling" so she continued the injection until she felt dizzy, had double vision, and blurred vision. Her family took her to the hospital for emergency treatment.

"This is a case that surprised us because the patient was only 14 years old and had cosmetic surgery with filler injections of unknown origin at home," Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Hong Ha, Head of the Department of Maxillofacial, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery ( Viet Duc Friendship Hospital ), shared.

After being admitted, the female student received emergency intervention using the vascular catheterization technique, one of the most modern techniques in the world . This technique uses advanced technology to clear blocked blood vessels, restore blood circulation, save vision and prevent damage to the patient 's pupil. According to Dr. Ha, because the injector did not have the knowledge, he injected filler from the external blood vessels into the cerebral blood vessels, causing cerebral artery blockage leading to dizziness, blurred vision, and double vision. Incorrect injection can cause central retinal artery blockage leading to reduced or even complete loss of vision.

Vascular occlusion, infection, skin necrosis

Referring to complications caused by filler injection, an expert from the Central Dermatology Hospital said that these complications can be divided into two main groups: related to injection techniques and the use of unlicensed fillers. Of which, the most serious complication caused by injection techniques that can be encountered is injection into blood vessels. Vascular occlusion complications after filler injection are caused by improper injection techniques by non-professionals. This is a common complication recently.

The Central Dermatology Hospital also received many cases of complications after filler injection. A typical case is a 37-year-old female patient who was hospitalized due to filler injection at a facility owned by an acquaintance, causing diffuse ischemic vascular occlusion in the nasal area, around the left side of the nose and mouth.

Experts from the Central Dermatology Hospital analyzed that filler is an internal cosmetic procedure that helps fill in facial defects such as sunken eyes, sunken tears, sunken temples, short chin, receding chin... to make the face fuller.

This method helps treat wrinkled facial skin, making the skin firm and shiny, but it is necessary to choose a reputable beauty facility with expertise that has been assessed by competent authorities, using injectable drugs with clear origin, licensed by the Ministry of Health to avoid unpredictable complications when injecting filler.

Regarding the incident caused by injecting fillers such as fillers, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong (Department of Dermatology and Burns, Bach Mai Hospital ) said that when injecting fillers, doctors must have a very clear understanding of the anatomical characteristics of the injection area, including the layers of skin, subcutaneous fat, blood vessel and nerve structures. Recently, leading hospitals have received a number of patients who went blind after injecting fillers for nose augmentation, due to the filler entering the blood vessels and causing blockage of the central retinal artery. Complications related to blood vessels can be caused by fillers entering the blood vessels or by compression of the blood vessels, or less seriously, skin necrosis. These complications are all caused by people who are not qualified professionals.

"Choosing filler is also an art. The doctor will choose the right filler for each area of ​​the face, temples, cheeks, chin, lips, not one type of filler used for all areas of the face. At the hospital , customers are examined and consulted to come up with the appropriate method. The product used must be licensed by the Ministry of Health," Dr. Phuong emphasized.

Anaphylactic reaction to anesthetic during filler injection

Not only technical complications, cosmetic filler injections can also be caused by allergies to the drugs used during injections. The Emergency Department of the 108 Military Central Hospital ( Hospital 108) once admitted a 44-year-old female patient to the emergency room in a state of extreme fatigue, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing. The condition appeared after the patient was injected with anesthetic (lidocaine) to inject filler into her nose at a cosmetic facility.

At the Emergency Department, through examination and checking of vital signs, the patient's blood pressure dropped low, blood oxygen saturation did not decrease, the doctors diagnosed the patient with grade 3 anaphylaxis with lidocaine and treated simultaneously according to both anaphylaxis and poisoning protocols with anesthetics, using vasopressor adrenaline and 20% lipid emulsion along with other emergency resuscitation measures.

" The patient was fortunate to receive proper, timely and active emergency care, avoiding unfortunate consequences. Therefore, when in need of beauty treatments, customers should choose reputable cosmetic facilities licensed by the Ministry of Health and have a team of experienced anesthesiologists and resuscitators to promptly handle anaphylactic reactions to the anesthetic used during filler injections," a doctor from the Emergency Department shared.

Similarly, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha noted that filler injections should only be performed at licensed hospitals and cosmetic clinics. The person performing the injection must be a doctor with a certificate of practice in cosmetic surgery. Do not inject fillers at home or perform the injections at facilities that do not meet standards or operating licenses. If there are signs of complications (swelling, pain, loss of vision, difficulty breathing, etc.), the patient should immediately go to a specialized medical facility for timely emergency care.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mu-mat-tac-mach-nhiem-trung-hoai-tu-da-do-lam-dep-khong-an-toan-185250220201450104.htm