Botox - Medical Malpractice Lawyer

Our cosmetic surgery medical malpractice lawyers deal with claims for financial compensation arising out of negligent behavior before during or after the application of botox. If you believe that your treatment, including disclosure of risk, surgical procedure or subsequent after-care was less than adequate and amounted to negligent action on the part of a healthcare professional, please use the contact form or email our offices and a specialist medical malpractice lawyer will call you on the telephone, at your convenience, to discuss your potential damages claim for negligent use of botox. Our botox medical malpractice lawyers specialize in cases involving negligent cosmetic surgery and they offer a free consultation with no further obligation. You will receive detailed legal advice over the telephone and they will give their views on liability and the estimated value of your potential botox negligence claim there and then.

Botox - Most Common Cosmetic Procedure

Botox is perhaps the most common non-invasive plastic or cosmetic procedure performed in the US. It consists of botulinum toxin—a protein derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, the same agent that causes botulism. It is a neurotoxin used in tiny doses to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by paralyzing the underlying muscles that cause the wrinkles in the first place. It was first approved for use by the US FDA in 1989 and its use has continued to be high ever since. It is also marketed under the name Dysport. It block acetylcholine release in the nerve and muscle cells.

The trick to Botox is to inject the right amount of Botox into the correct muscle. It is frequently used around the eyes and around the mouth - places where other procedures don't work as well. Botox can be used to reduce the appearance of Marionette lines and lines along the nasolabial fold. Laugh lines around the eye can be treated.

Botox lasts around 6 months but can last more or less than that depending on its metabolism in your body. You can reinject with Botox when the other Botox has worn off.

Non Cosmetic Use

Botox is used by doctors for truly medical and non-cosmetic procedures as well. It can be used to treat a condition known as blepharospasm and strabismus, both eye-related conditions. Spasm of the side of the face can be a reason to use Botox. Other muscle spasms can be treated as well as upper motor neuron syndrome. People with excessive sweating can be treated with Botox by injecting the substance into the underarm area. Chronic migraine sufferers can find relief with Botox when it is injected into the head and neck.

Side Effects

Botox is manufactured by Allergan, Inc. and makes Botox for both cosmetic and therapeutic use. Side effects of Botox include excessive paralysis. This can cause drooping of the eyes or of the rest of the face. Infection from local injection can occur and can be treated with local heat or antibiotics, especially if cellulitis occurs. You can also get bruising and a hematoma formation. If you get a hematoma, you may have to apply local heat. If this doesn't work, you need to consider having the hematoma removed surgically. Fortunately, this is an uncommon complication.

Teenagers

Recent research suggests there may be a problem in injecting Botox when you’re young and don’t really need it. The research showed that people who use Botox too early are at a higher than average risk for looking older later. Botox should never be used in children who obviously lack wrinkling. There has been an increase in the use of Botox in teens who are using it to attempt to prevent wrinkles. In fact, Botox does nothing to prevent wrinkles from occurring in the first place and has no place in teenage cosmetic medicine.

Teens do not have wrinkles. Instead they have what's considered normal facial expressions that, in and of themselves, do not cause wrinkles. Things that contribute to wrinkles include smoking, excessive tanning and the normal aging process. Hyper-expression of expression can contribute to wrinkles but it is not enough of an issue to avoid expressing oneself completely.

Long term use of Botox contributes to atrophy of the muscles. When the muscles atrophy, they no longer support the overlying skin and wrinkles can actually worsen. It becomes a self-perpetuating cycle.

Botox Medical Malpractice Lawyers

If you are unhappy with the outcome of any cosmetic surgery you should initially discuss your reservations with the surgeon who carried out the work to see if he has any proposals to rectify the problem. The surgeon may be willing to make a refund or may provide further corrective surgery. If you are unable to resolve the matter directly with the surgeon you should take advice from a medical malpractice lawyer with a view to claiming compensation. Our botox medical malpractice lawyers offer advice at no cost on liability and an estimate of the amount of compensation that you are likely to be awarded, with no charge and without obligation.

The author of the substantive medical writing on this website is Dr. Christine Traxler MD whose biography can be read here