When hyaluronic acid filler is involved in a vascular occlusion, the treatment plan has to exist before the emergency does. An injector who has never rehearsed it is easy to catch out.
What the evidence says
PubMed Central hosts a systematic review of risk factors for vascular occlusion. It states: "Hyaluronidase use in HA-related occlusions yielded high partial or total recovery rates with an 84.2% success rate, reaffirming its role as a first-line treatment."
The sentence reports recovery that was partial or total, so do not describe it to a patient as a guarantee. It also names hyaluronidase as the first-line treatment for HA-related occlusions.
Where the guideline sits
PubMed Central also carries the Guideline for the Management of Hyaluronic Acid Filler-induced Vascular Occlusion. Read it before you need it, not during an emergency.
What the occlusion can cost
The stakes are visible in the literature. PubMed Central hosts Vision Loss and Blindness Following Fillers and a broader review, Vascular Complications after Facial Filler Injection: A Literature Review and Meta-analysis.
A habit that prepares you
Since the review names hyaluronidase as the first-line treatment for HA-related occlusions, know where yours is kept and rehearse the steps with your team. The review on risk factors for vascular occlusions after dermal filler injections is the source of the figure above. If you work in Parsippany, New Jersey, make that rehearsal part of onboarding.