Blindness or eyesight problems after Juvederm injections

Question

My question is can you get vision problems or blindness a year or longer after getting Juvederm in nasal area every 6-9 months for 3 yrs? Or would vision and or blindness happened instantly? I have not seen or read any research on long term effects (delayed reactions) of vision problems

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

These types of side effects, while rare, usually occur immediately after filler injections. Repeat filler treatments do not increase your risk. Hope this helps.

Yannis Alexandrides, MD, FACS · Answer

Blindness after hyaluronic acid injections such as Juvederm has been reported in some literature, however this occurs very rarely. With so many months having passed since the injections, any vision-related problems are most likely unrelated to the fillers.

Lewis Albert Andres, MD · Answer

Hello!  Thank you for your question!  Typically, such visual problems will have occurred immediately after the injection as most likely the filler was inadvertently injected into a blood vessel, or possibly diffused within. This is a very rare complication. I do not know of any literature or reports of such complications after so lengthy of a time. It would be very unlikely that they are associated.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Keep in mind, these complications are extremely rare, but they usually happen immediately after injections. It takes 1-2 weeks for final results. Best, Dr. Emer

Brad M. Gandolfi, MD · Answer

Brenda,
It helps to know how the blindness develops. Juvederm (or any other substance) is injected generally with a needle. The danger comes because it is possible to inject the product directly into a blood vessel. The blood supply of the skin in the face is formed by an interconnected lattice-like matrix of blood vessels that arise from a few larger blood vessels deep within the skull. It is super rare, but possible to inject enough substance into a blood vessel around the nose that it travels back to the vessels deep within the eye and could decrease the blood flow into the back of the eye- which could cause blindness. How do we prevent this from happening? Everyone's vessels are slightly different and no doctor has xray vision, so I use "no go" zones and in some areas I only use cannulas (not sharp) to inject. Also important is to take time and inject only a small amount at a time. Finally, I only use HA (hyaluronic acid) fillers because they are reversible so if (God forbid) anything ever did happen, the filler could be dissolved quickly to minimize any lasting effects. 
Long term, there is not a risk of blindness from filler use.
I would expect juvederm to last longer than 6-9 months in the nose, and a newer product like vollure would be an even better longer lasting option in the nose. Good luck.

Blindness or eyesight problems after Juvederm injections

Answers (6)

Answer: Filler (Restylane, Juvederm, Voluma) and Eyesight problems

Answer: Filler (Restylane, Juvederm, Voluma) and Eyesight problems

Answer: The risk of blindness with fillers is immediate, not long-term

Answer: The risk of blindness with fillers is immediate, not long-term

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Everything you need to know about Juvederm

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Blindness or eyesight problems after Juvederm injections

Answers (6)

Answer: Filler (Restylane, Juvederm, Voluma) and Eyesight problems

Answer: Filler (Restylane, Juvederm, Voluma) and Eyesight problems

Answer: The risk of blindness with fillers is immediate, not long-term

Answer: The risk of blindness with fillers is immediate, not long-term

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Juvederm

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