Why Ultrasound guided injection treatments?

We have invested in this technology to enhance the safety of injectable treatments. As a surgeon I'm used to operating where I can see clearly what is going on but when you do the filler injections however you are often injecting blindly. So ultrasound is a logical next step, we see it as an extension of our eyes to see where we're going.

Not a day goes by when you do not see headlines of botched lip fillers or filler injections gone wrong. One of the most dreaded complications of injectable treatments is inadvertent injection into a blood vessel, which can be catastrophic. Once we use ultrasound on the face, we can map where the blood vessels are and carefully avoid them.

Another big advantage is we can see, identify and place our injections in the precise location that we are targeting. In recent years enormous progress has been made in knowledge of anatomy and facial ageing. We can use this knowledge to provide anatomical injections and some very nice, natural and pleasing results.

We are students of anatomy and blood vessels of the face tend to follow certain patterns however there are individual variations, which you cannot pick up unless you use some kind of imaging techniques. To make the treatments more comfortable and minimise the risk of complications ultrasound-guided dissolution can be used as an emergency measure also.

So what areas we commonly used ultrasound for?

1) Injections in temples, forehead, noses, nose to mouth lines and lips most commonly, as these can be high-risk areas. There is a perception amongst the novice injectors that lip injections or nose to mouth line area are easy. In reality this can be a very tricky treatment to get right and there is a high risk of complications here because of the variations in anatomy.

2) Injections into muscles such as the jaw clenchers for treatments of bruxism and teeth grinding. Here precise placement into the muscle is necessary for the treatment to work well.

3) For dissolving fillers if they have not been placed properly or if they are causing pressure or blockage of blood vessels. However, we are unable to accept patients of other practitioners at this time.  If you had a problem with the filler we recommend you see your own practitioner.

Results are important but safety of our treatments is paramount and now we have the tools at our disposal to minimise risks. Ultrasound is just one of these and we use multiple other methods to enhance safety. In addition we take extra care to minimise discomfort so your treatment experience is safe, effective and comfortable.