Last Wed (5 days ago) I received Voluma injections. Yesterday I woke up with a swollen eye, today it's much worse. I called the PA who administered the Voluma, she advised me to come in. She subsequently sent me immediately to the ER stating it could possibly be orbital cellulitis. She stated its unrelated to the injections but I find that hard to believe. Does this happen with Voluma? I have had it before w/o any reactions.
April 20, 2016
Answer: Voluma and orbital cellulitis Based on temporal relationship between the Voluma treatment and the cellulitis, the treatment was most likely the cause. That's not to say that Voluma itself causes cellulitis but the procedure likely did. Orbital cellulitis is inflammation of the soft tissues of the periorbital area, most commonly caused by bacterial infection. Bacteria that normally resides on the skin surface can be introduced into the periorbital soft tissues under the skin when a needle pierces the skin in that area. It's possible also that the needle itself, which is packaged sterilely, might have become contaminated while it was being handled by the injector. It's important that your injector cleanses the skin thoroughly to remove any skin bacteria prior to the injections and is careful not to contaminate the needle during the procedure. That's why I recommend injections to be done by a physician who understands periorbital anatomy and infectious disease processes better than a nurse injector or PA. If you do indeed have bacterial periorbital cellulitis, it's imperative that you be treated immediately with antibiotics, so I'm glad the PA sent you to get treatment (although, a board certified plastic surgeon would be able treat periorbital cellulitis without having to send you to the ER). If treated appropriately, it should resolve without any harmful effects and you should still be able to get fillers in the future without much worry. Good luck.
Helpful
April 20, 2016
Answer: Voluma and orbital cellulitis Based on temporal relationship between the Voluma treatment and the cellulitis, the treatment was most likely the cause. That's not to say that Voluma itself causes cellulitis but the procedure likely did. Orbital cellulitis is inflammation of the soft tissues of the periorbital area, most commonly caused by bacterial infection. Bacteria that normally resides on the skin surface can be introduced into the periorbital soft tissues under the skin when a needle pierces the skin in that area. It's possible also that the needle itself, which is packaged sterilely, might have become contaminated while it was being handled by the injector. It's important that your injector cleanses the skin thoroughly to remove any skin bacteria prior to the injections and is careful not to contaminate the needle during the procedure. That's why I recommend injections to be done by a physician who understands periorbital anatomy and infectious disease processes better than a nurse injector or PA. If you do indeed have bacterial periorbital cellulitis, it's imperative that you be treated immediately with antibiotics, so I'm glad the PA sent you to get treatment (although, a board certified plastic surgeon would be able treat periorbital cellulitis without having to send you to the ER). If treated appropriately, it should resolve without any harmful effects and you should still be able to get fillers in the future without much worry. Good luck.
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