Dr Galina SAVELYEVA
Dermatologue
Management of rare complications after “Russian Lip” augmentation: nodules, hypertrophic scarring, and fast-growing capillary hemangioma
Objectives: 1. Rare late complications after “Russian Lips” augmentation in an exaggerated way.
2. Ultrasound pictures and treatment for each clinical case (non-inflammatory nodules formation, hypertrophic scarring, capillary haemangioma)
3. Tips and tricks that can help clinicians avoid these problems successfully
Introduction: As most women desire to have flat, sensual lips, there is an increasing trend to give large volume injections in the soft tissue. Fillers are among the most frequently used beautifying products, and young doctors, nurses, and dentists usually start their professional career with this face area. We will not talk about common side effects like swelling, bruising, ischemia, and migration of the product. We present a few rare cases of complications after “Russian Lips” augmentation in an exaggerated way.
Materials / method: We present three different cases of rare late complications after lip augmentation. All cases were associated with the “Russian Lip” technique. Too much HA product, short-term multiple sessions with different types of fillers, and superficial injections can cause all these problems. The complications reviewed included the formation of non-inflammatory nodules, hypertrophic scarring, and fast growth capillary hemangioma.
Results: Our first case is the formation of nodules in the upper lip after the third injection session of filler to achieve a flat, well-defined upper lip shape. The nodule was injected with hyaluronidase 8 months after its formation, and near-complete resolution was not seen. Complete disappearance of the nodule was found after mechanical removal with ultrasound control. Granulomas are rare and occur as a result of a hypersensitivity IV-type reaction to a foreign body. The inflammatory reaction may be triggered by systemic infection, excessive sun exposure, impurity of dermal fillers.
Conclusion: Filler injection for soft tissue augmentation is a satisfactory procedure with very modest results despite high expectations. However, as the number of indications and performance increases, the number of complications also increases. It is important for physicians to know facial anatomy and high-risk regions. The experts of filler injection must be familiar with each filler material, the injection techniques, and the potential complications. We summarized rare complications after lip augmentation that can help clinicians avoid these problems successfully.
