Poorly Handled Painful Complications

As patients, we all inherently assume some level of risk whenever we decide to undergo any cosmetic procedure, whether surgical or nonsurgical. Ideally, in such cases, where the risks become the reality, providers are able to handle complications with timely, capable, and compassionate care. Unfortunately, that was not my experience when I developed painful complications after receiving dermal fillers at Utah Facial Plastics. I am writing this review almost 4 years after the event to share my story, and to hopefully serve as a reminder to be cautious when choosing where to entrust your wellbeing.

In late August of 2021, I requested that Dr. Scott Thompson inject filler into my right zygomatic (cheek) area in efforts of achieving a more balanced facial appearance. Immediately afterwards, I developed extreme pain in the injected area and the chronic inability to fully open my mouth (trismus). My right jaw joint began popping in and out of place and, within a day, it could no longer open to its normal maximum opening. The pain in the injected area became more intense with chewing, talking, and smiling, and eventually became so debilitating that I could no longer talk for extended periods of time or eat solid foods.

About three weeks after the injection, in September of 2021, I sought help from Utah Facial Plastics and from Dr. Thompson, but was informed that he was on a medical trip outside of the country until October. In the meantime, I was deferred to other injectors and surgeons at UFP - Alfie and Dr. Henstrom. Dr. Henstrom insisted that it couldn’t be the filler and advised me to take a therapeutic (high and extended) dose of ibuprofen. He suggested that it must be a separate TMJ issue, despite the fact that I had never experienced TMJ issues before and that the symptoms had come on suddenly and acutely immediately following the filler injection. I saw Alfie twice - the first time she suggested taking prednisone to resolve any lingering inflammation, but I declined. The second time I saw her, I was so desperate for relief that I decided to take the prednisone, only to experience extreme insomnia and no long-term relief from symptoms. I also reached out to Jeanna via her Instagram account for advice since she had previously injected my lips, but she insisted that I work with my original injector, Dr. Thompson. I later discovered that she refuses to book me for any further appointments.

When I was finally able to meet with Dr. Thompson in October of 2021, he said that he could try dissolving the filler, but then said that he could not remember where he had injected it. And that his notes only said “cheek”. Feeling totally failed by Utah Facial Plastics, and in debilitating pain, I decided to seek help from a different injector, who specialized in ultrasound-guided filler dissolving. I also sought help from an ENT with University of Utah Health, who ordered an ultrasound of the area, which showed that filler had been injected directly in/surrounding a facial nerve. After two ultrasound-guided dissolving sessions with the outside injector, the filler was dissolved and the pain in the injected area dissipated.

At this point, though the nerve pain in the injected area was resolved thanks to the outside specialist, the jaw joint issues (trismus, pain) had persisted and worsened. In November 2021, I returned to Dr. Thompson and reported the continuing symptoms to him. I asked him for help, and he performed additional dissolving sessions. This led to periods of temporary muscular relief following each dissolving session, potentially due to the dry-needling effects of the injections or potentially due to the anti-inflammatory effects of the dissolving agent. Regardless, the issues remained unresolved, and I made the decision to seek professional medical help from an Oral & Maxillofacial surgeon. In early 2022, I travelled out of state to undergo bilateral TMJ arthroscopic surgery with a specialist. The surgery was partially successful, but, in late 2024, the joint condition worsened and developed osteoarthritis, to the point of needing complete jaw joint replacement with a prosthetic joint.

I write this review as someone who, in reflecting upon the facts of what took place in 2021, is dissatisfied and disappointed with the poor level of aftercare that I experienced at Utah Facial Plastics. Until just recently, I had continued to visit Dr. Thompson for forehead Botox treatments. However, in contemplating how I was and have been treated at UFP, I finally decided it would be best to take my business elsewhere and write this review.

My story is an extreme one, but if you take anything from it, let it be to please be careful in deciding who you let inject you. I found out the hard way that, in my experience, when something goes wrong, there is very little support available outside of your original injector. In my experience, few medical professionals are willing to take on the liability of trying to help, and those that are willing are very expensive. Make sure that whoever injects you has proven that they are equipped to help you deal with potential complications in a timely, capable, and compassionate manner. You don’t want to be in a position of finding out how they will treat you until after something bad has already happened. In summary, I would not recommend UFP for injectables.