Safety Communications > Unintentional Injection of Soft Tissue Filler into Blood Vessels in the Face: FDA Safety Communication

Safety Communications > Unintentional Injection of Soft Tissue Filler into Blood Vessels in the Face: FDA Safety Communication

A safety communication has been posted regarding Unintentional Injection of Soft Tissue Filler into Blood Vessels in the Face.  The FDA has reviewed information that suggests unintentional injection of soft tissue fillers into blood vessels in the face can result in rare, but serious side effects. Unintentional injection can block blood vessels and restrict blood supply to tissues. Sometimes this can result in embolization. This means the filler material has traveled to other parts of the body. This can cause vision impairment, blindness, stroke and damage and/or death of the skin (necrosis) and underlying facial structures.

While unintentional injections into blood vessels may occur with injection sites anywhere on the face, the FDA’s review of literature and adverse event reports submitted to the FDA identifies certain injection locations where blood vessel blockage have been reported more often. These sites include the skin between the eyebrows and nose (glabella), in and around the nose, forehead, and around the eyes (periorbital region).