Is it safe to reuse a syringe on another patient (Restylane)?

Question

Ok, so I'm super nervous about this. The doctor had only used half of a syringe on an earlier patient and I only needed half of a syringe, so he reused the syringe (Restylane) on me. Changed the needle, but still, I'm very nervous now if I can get an infection or get sick? Is this dangerous?

Jonathan Landon, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. What you described should not be done, regardless of changing the needle. Each syringe of Restylane should only be used for a single patient, and if any remains post-injection then it should be properly discarded. Using the same syringe for multiple patients greatly increases the risks of spreading disease and bloodborne pathogens.

Ryan E. Austin, MD · Answer

Hi, thanks for your question. And no reusing the same syringe on another patient is absolutely not recommended or normal practice. I would speak to your doctor about your concerns and to clarify whether perhaps there was some sort of misunderstanding. But, the short answer is no, this would not be safe or ok.

Christopher W. Robb, MD, PhD · Answer

This is not recommended in best practices of aesthetic medicine. Sharing syringes with anyone is not advised.

Philip S. Schoenfeld, MD, FACS · Answer

Sharing syringes of dermal filler among patients is seriously frowned upon for a variety of reasons.  The most significant potential issue is transmission of virus between patients.  I have to say, that is very curious behavior for any reputable practitioner.

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

ABSOLUTELY NOT!! never go back to this provider and report that person. you CAN however remove filler from the syringe when its sterilly open and draw it Into another syringe that is used.  but you should NEVER share a syringe between patients there are a ton of medical liability issues here.  What a shame.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

if it actually happened, the behavior is potentially a criminal disregard for patient safety. Hepatitis B and even HIV can be transmitted this way. I encourage you to immediately see your regular medical doctor and determine if HIV transmission suppression is warranted. This might entail asking if the other patient you “shared” the syringe for testing. That can be coordinated by order by a local public health agency if your physician wouldn’t cooperate. The doctor’s action should be reported to the state medical board.

Matthew Bridges, MD, FACS · Answer

Are you sure he really did this?  Are you saying he used the same physical syringe on another patient, then on you, just with another needle?  That's gross at the very least.  The chance that blood could get into the syringe from the 1st patient and then be injected into you is very small, but still a real concern. To be clear, this is a completely unacceptable practice and should probably be reported to the local health department.

Dmitriy Schwarzburg, MD · Answer

It is never safe to use one syringe of one patient to another, both needle and syringe must be discarded once they have been used. Always contact a board certified medical practitioner for best results of your treatment.

Chad Robbins, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question .    There are .5cc syringes by Restylane as well as 1 cc syringes, are you certain that he didn't use one on you and one on the other patient ?  That is not following protocol for any thing injected / injectables if he did in fact used the same syringe on 2 patient's .   You may want to contact the Board of Dermatology or Plastic Surgeons, assuming it was one of these who injected it.

Center for Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery - Grand Rapids · Answer

In my professional opinion this is not best practice and a single syringe should most definitely not be used on multiple patients. This puts patients at risk for blood borne illness and infection. Providers often aspirate prior to injecting, contaminating the syringe. I would advise against this in the future.

Is it safe to reuse a syringe on another patient (Restylane)?

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