Health
Cosmetic fillers can cause deadly complication, experts warn — but new tech exposes it
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Each year, more than 5 million cosmetic filler procedures are performed in the U.S. — but these injectables can potentially block key blood vessels, putting patients at risk for serious harm.
In a study presented this week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago, doctors found that ultrasound technology can spot these dangerous blockages early enough to guide treatment and help prevent lasting injury.
The researchers looked at data from 100 patients from six different locations who experienced vascular complications after hyaluronic acid filler injections. All data were collected between May 2022 and April 2025, according to a press release.
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They found that ultrasounds successfully detected vascular occlusion, which is a blockage in a blood vessel that stops normal blood flow.
If this condition goes untreated, it can cause pain, skin damage and scarring — and, in severe cases, vision loss or stroke.
Each year, more than 5 million cosmetic filler procedures are performed in the U.S. — but these injectables can potentially block key blood vessels. (iStock)
“Doppler ultrasound helps doctors see exactly where the filler is, how the blood is flowing in real time, and whether blood vessels may have been affected after a cosmetic procedure,” lead researcher Rosa Maria Silveira Sigrist, M.D., attending radiologist at the University of São Paulo in Brazil, told Fox News Digital.
“The physical exam continues to be very important, but the ultrasound adds extra information that makes the evaluation safer and the treatment more precise.”
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In the study, more than 40% of patients had blockages in the perforator vessels, which are small connecting blood vessels, while 35% had major facial arteries that showed no blood flow.
The nasal region was identified as the highest-risk area, as the lateral nasal artery runs along the side of the nose and supplies blood to larger arteries that lead toward the eye and the brain.
Doctors found that ultrasound technology can spot dangerous blockages early enough to guide treatment and help prevent lasting injury. (iStock)
“Vascular occlusion after filler injections can lead to devastating outcomes, including skin necrosis, tissue loss, and — in the worst cases — blindness and even stroke,” Dr. Anthony Berlet, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New Jersey, who was not involved in the research, told Fox News Digital.
“Once a critical artery — for example, one feeding the retina or skin — is occluded by filler or embolus, the damage may be irreversible.”
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In the hands of an experienced, licensed professional using proper techniques, the risk of a vascular occlusion should be less than 1%, according to Dr. Samuel Golpanian, a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills.
“But if fillers are done by someone untrained or using the wrong needles or methods, the complication rate can be much higher — 10% to 20%, which is completely unacceptable,” Golpanian, who also did not work on the study, told Fox News Digital.
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Ultrasound helped doctors pinpoint the locations of the blockages, allowing them to place a dissolving enzyme (hyaluronidase) right where it was needed and avoid using large, guesswork doses.
The researchers suggested that using ultrasound during the injection itself could help to prevent blood-vessel injuries and enable faster, more precise treatment if blockages occur.
In the hands of an experienced, licensed professional using proper techniques, the risk of a vascular occlusion should be less than 1%, one plastic surgeon stated. (iStock)
“Ideally, ultrasound should be integrated into care in a way that supports timely decision-making — either as an immediate point-of-care tool in trained hands, or to confirm and optimize management once initial rescue therapy has begun,” Dr. Asif Pirani, a board-certified cosmetic plastic surgeon in Toronto, Canada, told Fox News Digital.
To minimize dangerous complications, Pirani — another outside expert not involved in the study — emphasized that injectable treatments should be performed by board-certified specialists with formal training in facial anatomy and complication protocols.
Study limitations
Some limitations of the study were noted, including its relatively small sample size (100 adults) and the fact that it has not yet been peer-reviewed.
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“Another limitation we noticed is that the Doppler exam is performed differently even among very experienced specialists,” the lead researcher told Fox News Digital. “This shows how important it is to create clear, standardized guidelines, so the exam can be done in a more consistent way.”
“Once a critical artery is occluded by filler or embolus, the damage may be irreversible.”
Also, all study participants experienced significant complications, which means the findings may not apply to those with milder cases or different filler types.
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There could also be some degree of geographic bias, as the research was conducted in Brazil, where training standards may differ from the U.S.
Future studies are needed to follow more patients over longer time periods and track their recovery after ultrasound-guided treatment, the study noted.
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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