Cosmetic Surgery Risks

There is no such thing as “minor surgery” or a “minor procedure”.  All procedures carry risk and your aim as a prospective patient should always be to minimize that risk.

What happens when a person agrees to be a “model” for the injection of facial fillers by a trainee GP?

A recent article in the Herald Sun showed the devastating effect of an infection following this type of procedure.

Tracy Logan spent 6 weeks in hospital after a product (believed to be a dermal filler) was injected into her cheeks by a trainee GP.

Her face started to swell within 24 hours and from the photographs it would appear that she had a cellulitis (infection) of her cheeks.

Tracy had 4 operations in one week to drain fluid from her cheeks and to have the collagen broken down.

These photographs show her appearance during this time. Fortunately, with the aid of powerful antibiotics and surgical drainage procedures, she recovered with fairly minimal scarring.

While the cause of this infection is uncertain, it must be stated that it is extremely rare for this to occur when the procedure is performed by a skilled practitioner under sterile conditions in an appropriate setting.

At Avenue Aesthetic Surgery, having performed many thousands of non surgical facial procedures (including the injection of dermal fillers) we have never seen such a devastating complication.  However this case is a timely warning to all patients that, should they experience excessive swelling (especially if accompanied by pain), following a procedure then they must return for immediate review.  It is possible that the early administration of antibiotics could prevent infection progressing to this stage.

For all patients considering non surgical cosmetic facial procedures (such as anti wrinkle injections and dermal fillers) this case is a timely reminder to ensure that the procedure is performed under the supervision of a qualified and experienced medical practitioner.

There is no such thing as “minor surgery” or a “minor procedure”.