Posted October 27, 2008 in Blog, Botox and Facial Fillers, Uncategorized
Two recent occurrences remind me once again to inform the public of the importance of choosing your treating physician very carefully when it comes to facial cosmetic surgery, particularly with Botox and facial fillers. I was interviewed last week for a television show called, “1000 Ways to Die”. I was asked to comment about a 40 year old woman who wanted to look younger, yet wanted the cheapest Botox possible. She found a “guy” who came to her house and injected her with what he claimed to be “Botox”, but which was non FDA approved botulism toxin. Within hours she could not breathe, and died. The question that I was asked was, “So Dr. Persky, what do you think about this “Botox” death from a “cosmetic treatment”. I responded that this was not a Botox death from a cosmetic treatment because the woman had been treated with a Botox imitation, and likely received a gigantic dose of the toxin. This was a case of murder by an unqualified injector using non FDA approved botulism toxin. There have not been any reported deaths from cosmetic FDA approved Botox injections in the many years that it has been used. So in trying to get the cheapest price, this woman paid the ultimate price, her life. Botox injections and the injections of facial fillers are medical procedures that should be performed by qualified and trained cosmetic physicians in their offices, not in someone’s kitchen.
