FDA Alert: possibility of rare, but serious, injuries that may occur due to unintentional injection of soft tissue filler into blood vessels in the face

Alert: The FDA is alerting health care providers and consumers about the possibility of rare, but serious, injuries that may occur due to unintentional injection of soft tissue filler into blood vessels in the face. According to the agency, “Rare but serious adverse events that are associated with intravascular injection of soft tissue filler material in the face include (acute or permanent) vision impairment, blindness, cerebral ischemia or cerebral hemorrhage, leading to stroke, skin necrosis, and damage to underlying facial structures.”

Recommendation: Make sure that you are familiar with the anatomy at and around the site of injection, keeping in mind that blood vessel anatomy can vary among patients.