Mapping High-Risk Arteries Using Doppler Ultrasound for Forehead Contouring in Korean Patients

Abstract

Background: Forehead flatness is common in Korean populations, and one of the most straightforward techniques for adding volume and achieving a concave forehead is injecting hyaluronic acid (HA) filler. However, definitive guidelines for this procedure are lacking, and careful attention to the arterial anatomy is required to avoid vascular complications.

Objective: The authors aimed to establish guidelines for performing forehead augmentation using Doppler ultrasound to identify vasculature before HA injection.

Methods and materials: Arterial mapping of the faces of 34 patients was performed using Doppler ultrasound. Each anatomic layer (skin, subcutaneous fat, and galea aponeurotica) of the forehead with blood vessels was identified. An average volume of 2.85 mL of HA filler was injected. Postoperative complications, such as infection, hematoma, bruising, nodules, skin necrosis, and blindness, were evaluated.

Results: Using Doppler ultrasound, the authors successfully traced all 3 blood vessels (supraorbital, supratrochlear, and frontal branch of the superficial temporal arteries) and avoided them during HA injection. None of the patients experienced arterial complications.

Conclusion: Doppler ultrasound proves to be an effective technique for arterial mapping, enabling the identification and avoidance of the major blood vessels of the forehead before HA filler injection.