A woman in Singapore went blind after undergoing a “dermal filler” medical procedure to reduce her wrinkles and folds in her skin at a clinic in Redhill, becoming the first of such a case in Singapore.
The Incident
The unfortunate incident took place at a clinic in Redhill, where the woman received an injection of the dermal filler AestheFill.
According to media reports citing their own sources, the victim is a young married woman who experienced sudden blindness in both her eyes after the injection at the clinic.
Parvus, the Singapore distributor of AestheFill, confirmed the incident and expressed its commitment to understanding the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Regulatory Investigation
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) promptly initiated an investigation. They are looking into whether there were batch-related defects that could have compromised the safety and quality of AestheFill. It’s worth noting that AestheFill was registered for use in Singapore only in October 2021.
A spokesperson for HSA said that Parvus had reported an incident of “blood vessel occlusion” that led to blindness after the administration of AestheFill.
This incident is a significant concern as it is the first adverse event report of blindness resulting from dermal fillers in Singapore.
Dermal fillers are classified by HSA as Class D medical devices in Singapore, indicating that they carry the highest risk, and if any adverse effects happen, the companies have to report the incident to HSA within 10 days.
The Practitioner
According to the website of the clinic that administered the procedure, the doctor who purportedly performed the procedure is a certified trainer in the injections, which can only be administered by qualified professionals.
Since its approval by HSA on October 1, 2021, AestheFill has gained popularity among aesthetic practitioners in Singapore. It is internationally recognized as a reliable filler for aesthetic treatments.
However, like any medical procedure, there are inherent risks, which are communicated to patients by trained medical doctors before treatment.