200 people report blindness after botched dermal filler procedures
July 23, 2019
By Imogen Reid
They’re becoming as commonplace as getting a facial, but doctors have issued a stern warning to those looking to get cosmetic injectables.
Australia’s peak professional body for cosmetic medicine and surgery has issued a stern warning to those looking to get cheek or lip dermal fillers following a disturbing rise in the number of cases of reported blindness caused by botched procedures.
The figures have increased by 94 per cent globally — an alarming rate as the cosmetic trend continues to rapidly grow in popularity.
The president of the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery, Dr Irene Kushelew, said nearly 200 people suffered accidental blindness from dodgy procedures that were performed by poorly qualified practitioners.
“Many Australians incorrectly believe that procedures involving dermal fillers are beauty treatments, in the same category as facials,” Dr Kushelew said in a media release.
“Complications can and do take place but reports of botched procedures and the use of imported, illegal products are on the rise in Australia.”
Dr Kushelew also warns that many practitioner’s skills and level of training don’t even meet Australian standards.
“The public needs protection from untrained, inexperienced, ‘occasional’ practitioners offering cosmetic procedures who do not understand the high-risk areas of the face,” she said.
“Many practitioners undergo a one or two-day training course only for cosmetic injectables — this is simple not adequate.”
Dr Kushelew said untrained operators had mistakenly injected filler into veins and arteries, blocking blood supply ultimately causing blindness.
“There is a major misconception in Australia and around the world that Botox and dermal fillers are beauty treatments, in the same category as facials,” Dr Kushelew said.
“This has been heightened by the number of practitioners offering these services in casual settings like shopping malls, at the hairdressers, and even at informal ‘Botox parties’.
“Before receiving any type of cosmetic injectable, you must have a medical consultation with a doctor so they can consider your medical history.”
Australians are spending more on cosmetic procedures per capita than the US, including $350 million worth of Botox procedures alone in the last year, despite the risky side effects.
In April last year, a 30-year-old woman from Melbourne, who wished to stay anonymous, went blind from an anti-wrinkle injection she received at a popular laser clinic chain. She was horrified when her injector had one brief Skype chat with a doctor before the procedure got underway.
“It freaked me out how little they cared,” she said. “I felt like it was bit of a machine — they didn’t tell me about possible side effects or the effects of the long-term treatment.”