BACKGROUND

Injection of hyaluronic acid filler, a common procedure for nasolabial fold correction, poses a risk of vascular compromise, which can result in skin necrosis and blindness.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to examine the facial arterial pathway in real time by Doppler ultrasound to avoid arterial complications during filler injections.

METHODS

The facial artery pathway of 40 patients (80 nasolabial folds; 2 men and 38 women; mean age, 46.5 years; range, 28-72 years) was examined by Doppler ultrasound before hyaluronic acid filler injection. On the basis of this ultrasound evaluation, the filler injection targeted the subdermal, subcutaneous, and deep to submuscular layers by bypassing the facial artery. The efficacy of the filler injection was evaluated for each patient.

RESULTS

The facial artery was detected lateral to the nasolabial fold in 31% of patients; it was detected beneath the nasolabial fold in the other patients as follows: subdermal layer, 13%; subcutaneous layer, 29%; muscular layer, 24%; and submuscular layer, 4%. The mean [standard deviation] Wrinkle Severity Rating Scale score was 3.68 [0.76] before injection and 2.28 [0.78] at 3 months after injection. Two patients experienced unilateral bruising of the nasolabial fold, which resolved after 2 weeks without treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Doppler ultrasound can be considered as pretreatment tool for the prevention of vascular complications during filler injections to correct nasolabial folds.