What Researchers Did
A physician reported a case where HBOT was used to treat a 51-year-old woman who developed vascular occlusion, blocked blood supply causing tissue damage, after a permanent polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) dermal filler was injected into her nasolabial folds.
What They Found
The patient developed visible tissue discoloration and livedo skin changes within hours of the filler injection. After 6 HBOT sessions, the tissue discoloration improved significantly. The report proposes that HBOT works by hyperoxygenating the ischemic tissue and reducing the inflammation caused by the arterial blockage.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadians who undergo cosmetic filler injections, vascular occlusion is a rare but serious complication that can cause permanent tissue damage or scarring. This case suggests that prompt HBOT referral after hyaluronidase treatment may rescue at-risk tissue even when the filler is permanent and cannot be dissolved.
Canadian Relevance
Arterial gas embolism and arterial occlusive emergencies are OHIP-covered HBOT indications in Ontario. Dermal filler vascular occlusion may qualify under arterial occlusion indications, and clinicians should contact their regional hyperbaric center promptly when this complication occurs.
Study Limitations
This is a single patient case report and cannot establish that HBOT caused the recovery, as some vascular occlusions resolve partially on their own with conservative treatment alone.