Cannulas for Dermal Filler Placement: A Safety Review

Over the last 10 years, the demand for nonsurgical aesthetic procedures has soared. Among these procedures, volume enhancement with soft tissue dermal fillers continues to be popular. New soft tissue dermal fillers are getting approved by the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and becoming available on the US market yearly. Traditionally, soft tissue fillers have been supplied and injected with hypodermal needles, however, the FDA has recently approved several soft tissue dermal fillers with the use of a cannula for injection. It is thought that cannulas may reduce injection complications, however, even with a blunt-tipped cannula patients can still suffer from tragic complications of vascular compromise leading to ischemia and blindness. It is essential that injectors understand the appropriate safety techniques to help avoid complications by learning how to determine whether a cannula is a better choice than a hypodermal needle when injecting and what to do if an intravascular event occurs.