Fillers Injected
Without Cannulas

Question: What’s the worst thing that can happen with injectable fillers like Juvederm and Restylane.

Answer: They can be accidentally injected into an artery.

The inadvertent injection of a filler into an artery (intravascular injection) can be devastating.  It can result in severe pain, scarring, tissue loss (such as parts of the nose and lip) and even blindness.  Yes, blindness.

So what can a doctor do to prevent this?  Lots of things.

Your doctor can inject slowly while pulling the needle out, inject in small aliquots, pull back on the syringe before injecting to make sure the needle isn’t in an artery, know the anatomy and danger zones, and USE A CANNULA.

Injectable cannulas are blunt, long needles that are bendable and specially made to prevent intravascular injection of a filler.  Although not 100% effective in preventing all episodes of intravascular injection, studies show it’s much less likely to cause this than a normal, sharp needle.

Any doctor who has seen an intravascular injection (I’ve seen two- both performed using needles) knows just how serious of a complication this can be.  It’s unforgettable.

At YPS, safety is always the number one priority.  It should be the same with your doctor as well.

That’s why we almost exclusively use cannulas when we perform injectable fillers.

For this reason, Fillers Without Cannulas are on my Holistic Beauty Blacklist.

Note: This is based solely on the opinions of Dr. Youn, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all doctors or the standard of care in your area. Before you undergo any invasive cosmetic treatment, make sure you consult with a real board-certified plastic surgeon.

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