Nearly 100 people are blinded after facial fillers are mistakenly injected into blood vessels, claims doctor who pioneered botox

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'98 patients lost vision in one or both eyes after having facial filler injection'
Professor Jean Carruthers, who pioneered use of Botox, made the claim
Says mistakenly injecting into blood vessel can cause 'catastrophic' result
Some patients had suffered strokes after filler made it to the brain, she said

By Vivienne Parry and Stephen Adams for The Mail on Sunday

Published: 16:02 EST, 13 June 2015 | Updated: 07:01 EST, 14 June 2015

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Nearly 100 people have been left blind by cosmetic treatments that went wrong, according to a doctor who pioneered the use of Botox.

Professor Jean Carruthers said 98 patients worldwide had lost vision in one or both eyes after being injected with dermal fillers in the face.

These fillers are used to smooth away frown lines and plump up sallow skin below the eyes.

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Warning: Professor Jean Carruthers, who pioneered the use of Botox, said after totting up case reports that 98 patients worldwide had lost vision in one or both eyes after being injected with dermal fillers in the face

But there can be ‘catastrophic’ results if they are mistakenly injected into a blood vessel, leading to blockage of crucial arteries supplying blood to the eyes, she said.

Prof Carruthers, an ophthalmologist who stumbled upon the skin-smoothing effects of Botox in 1987, said after totting up case reports it was clear that blindings were more common than had previously been thought.

She added that in a quarter of the 98 cases, dermal filler had made it into the brain, with some patients suffering strokes as a result.

Botox itself was not used as a facial filler, she said. Instead, a patient’s own fat – taken from elsewhere in the body – was the most frequently used substance.

Highlighting the danger at the World Congress of Dermatology conference in Vancouver, Canada, Prof Carruthers said: ‘Often the commonest filler to be used mid-face and around the eyes is actually fat. It’s your own fat that is being used.

‘And you can’t get rid of fat once it’s in an artery. It’s there – you can’t dissolve it. It’s an utter disaster.’

Anyone can inject fillers under the law in Britain, meaning beauticians without any medical qualifications can do so. At least one Briton is thought to have lost vision due to dermal fillers.

Analysis: Prof Carruthers, who stumbled upon the skin-smoothing effects of Botox in 1987, said after totting up case reports it was clear that blindings were more common than had previously been thought (file photos)

Here's how it works: Demonstration shows filler ELLANSÉ in action