What Researchers Did
Researchers described the case of a 31-year-old woman who lost vision in one eye and developed skin damage after receiving a hyaluronic acid injection for cosmetic reasons.
What They Found
A 31-year-old woman experienced sudden blindness in one eye and superficial skin necrosis after a cosmetic hyaluronic acid injection. Tests confirmed an ophthalmic artery occlusion and subsequent damage to her optic nerve and posterior scleral wall. Despite receiving various treatments, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, her vision did not recover.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This case highlights the rare but severe risk of permanent vision loss from cosmetic hyaluronic acid filler injections. Canadian patients considering these procedures should be fully informed of such potential catastrophic complications. While hyperbaric oxygen therapy was used, it did not restore vision in this specific instance.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted by Canadian authors or in Canada. The condition described, vision loss due to cosmetic hyaluronic acid injections, is not a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, the findings from this study cannot be applied to a larger population.