Can Sculptra or Radiesse lead to a fat embolism?

Question

Could you get a filler embolism the same way you can get a fat embolism from a bbl?

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

Occlusion of blood vessel can happen with any material thicker then a blood injected into blood vessel, vein or artery. This includes fullers.

Ryan A. Stanton, MD · Answer

The short answer is, yes indeed.

I have unfortunately had many patients come to me after having their high hopes for buttock/hip augmentation crushed by measly Sculptra results or other "fillers" such as Radiesse, Renuva and Juvederm, etc. Other than the fact that these are not FDA approved for buttock/hip injections, here are some critical points of awareness: 1) they all are temporary, lasting 1.5 - 2 years at very most, 2) if done correctly dermal fillers like Sculptra or Renuva are cost prohibitive for 99% of potential buttock/hip augmentation patients. In order to create a significant/noticeable result with a dermal filler, at least 200 mls of active product (not just “total ccs of fluid injected” of which contains mostly saline not Sculptra) must be injected into each buttock cheek for a total of 400 mls. At $1000 per ml, this equates to a minimum price of $400,000.00. Thus if your doctor is recommending to put in ONLY 20 or 40 mls of these fillers you will pay $20,000-$40,000 and get an insignificant miniscule result! (eg. like a “drop in the ocean” effect), 3) Do not let anybody tell you that the product is so special that it's going to magically grow over the following months or years...this just does not happen to any noticeable degree!, 4) dermal fillers, when injected in large quantities, have a relatively high infection rate, guaranteed tendency to migrate away from the original area they were injected into, and almost always stimulate a lot of inflammation with a subsequent and disastrous amount of scar tissue/hardening, and 5) the one very serious complication that can rarely ( less than 1%) happen is "embolism" in which some of the filler gets into the blood stream and travels up into the lungs, heart, and/or brain causing serious problems, including death.

As well, fat transfer to the outer butt and hip dips, especially on lean patients, has a poor survival rate and thus often slighted results.

The only relatively safe, reliable, and permanent option for buttock and hip dip augmentation is with implants.

Hope this all helps you make a better informed decision and saves you a lot of your otherwise hard earned money.

Victoria Falcone, DO · Answer

It is very unlikely that you would get necrosis or fat embolism with filler injection unless your provider is placing the filler under the muscle. If you want to be ultra-cautious, seek a provider who can place your filler under ultrasound guidance. This is important for surgical and non-surgical BBL. Ultrasound will ensure that your filler is placed above the muscle and outside of a blood vessel.

Can Sculptra or Radiesse lead to a fat embolism?

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Can Sculptra or Radiesse lead to a fat embolism?

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Everything you need to know about Nonsurgical Butt Lift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.