Complications of Injectable Soft Tissue Filler

Soft tissue fillers for soft tissue augmentation and the correction of wrinkles have been used widely in recent years. Various kinds of products have been developing and the demand for these products is growing more and more rapidly. The popularity of soft tissue fillers was based on the safety profile, easy application and low complications rate [1]. As the use of fillers increases, many complications have arisen recently. The range of complications varies widely. Local and temporary reaction to the filler is common and self-limited. Ozturk et al. [1] named the minimal and self-limited complication simply as adverse sequelae. Misplacement of filler, allergic reaction, infection and biofilm formation, and delayed granulomatous reaction can occur and proper treatments are necessary [1-3]. Skin necrosis and visual impairment are not common but it is a disaster to both the patient and the clinician [4,5]. These complications have to be treated immediately and properly. Clinicians are familiar with the nature and property of most commonly used fillers and their procedure technique. Enough practice is necessary to prevent various complications because injection technique is critical. Although clinicians take care of above-mentioned factors, complications can develop unexpectedly. Clinicians should be aware of the method to deal with the complications. In this article, we introduce the three different groups of fillers according to their origin and discuss properties of each filler and possible complications. We also review how to avoid or manage the complications of soft tissue fillers.