WHY I DO NOT PERFORM BREAST AUGMENTATION WITH FILLERS?
I personally
receive many enquiries requesting breast fillers daily. Touted as a risk-free
alternative to breast augmentation with implants; they are actively promoted by
many aesthetic clinics to patients as safe, reversible, having no downtime and
cheaper to boot. Furthermore, filler breast injections require no
hospitalization or surgery. Boobs can be discreetly enlarged in 30 minutes or
less with instant gratification.
Hence, the
big questions – why I do not perform filler injections for breast enhancement?
The use of
fillers for breast augmentation has been performed since the dawn of time.
Early attempts at augmentation involved injection of substances such as liquid
paraffin or oil into the breast tissues. Other more bizarre materials such as ivory
or glass balls and rubber have been tried. Then came the era of the injection
of liquid silicone, polyacrylamide hydrogel and hyaluronic acid.
Virtually
all of these injectable substances have been associated with high rates of
unacceptable and often irreversible complications.
During the
1940s and 1950s, a half-century after the paraffin saga, history repeated
itself again with silicone injections. Some of the complications were even
worse, because industrial grade silicone was injected and contaminants were
purposely added to the silicone injections, to cause sclerosis of the silicone,
to hopefully restrict its migration.
During the
past 20 years, a newer class of injectable material emerged: Polyacrylamide
Hydrogel. This material was originally introduced under the name of Royamid in
the late 1980s. It was subsequently marketed under the name of Interfall and
Formacryl. In 1997, it was approved by the State Drug Administration in China
(the Chinese equivalent of the FDA). Most preparations marketed today are
manufactured by Contura International (Denmark), under the brand name Aquamid
which was popular in Malaysia.
Numerous reports
subsequently appeared, demonstrating that numerous complications can occur
after these filler injections. These can develop from several months to three
years after injection. They include the following: migration, breast lumps,
pain, infection, granulomas and permanent disfigurement. Migration of Polyacrylamide
fillers appears to be due, in part, to a leak of the viscous injected material
from the pocket, through the injection tract.
The filler thus
has been rebranded as Outline, Bioformacryl, Argiform, Amazing Gel, Ao Mei Ding
and Bio-Alkamid and pushed to various guillable medical professionals around
the world again leaving a trail of often uncorrectable complications.
Migration of
filler material from breasts to abdomen (tummy).
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2006-06-amazing-gel-woes-enormous.html
Realizing
that Polyacrlyamide Hydrogel has been banned in several countries, manufacturers
decided to capitalize on the ‘apparent’ safety of cross-linked hyaluronic acid
which has been used in smaller amounts on the face to translate to breast enhancement.
Marketed by Q-Med as Macrolane since 2008, colloquially referred to as the
"30-minute boob job”. A recent study showed that Macrolane complications may appear
months after treatment, as local infections, product dislocation, and breast
lump onset. Ultrasound and MRI help to diagnose the nature of the complication.
Patients must be warned that it can be impossible to totally remove Macrolane,
once implanted.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00238-011-0576-z
MRI
showing accumulation of filler material that failed to resorb causing
infection.
In Sweden
there have been a number of cases of erection problems and pain associated with
erection when Macrolane injections were used to increase penile size, prompting
a mandatory investigation into the safety of the product. Macrolane has thus
been discontinued.
https://www.surgery.org/consumers/plastic-surgery-news-briefs/lunchtime-boob-jobs-banned-uk-1036624
But many
knock-off versions appeared in the market legally (example Charmost hyaluronic
acid Ultra D breast fillers and 100s of other brands) under various trade names
all touting “safe” hyaluronic acid that is cross-linked and is non-permanent
and offer instant breast enhancement. Many doctors like to perform these
injections as the profit margins are high and the procedure is easy to learn
and perform.
Aquafilling
was developed in 2005 and its use for breast augmentation has gained speed in
several countries claiming that it lasts from 5 to 8 years but costs a fraction
of a formal breast augmentation surgery or breast fat grafting. Its declared
composition is 98% water and 2% polyamide. Various studies and case reports
revealed the extent of complications/adverse effects of Aquafilling but the
product and various generic brands of hyaluronic acid fillers for breast
enlargement are still available in the market and is widely popular in Malaysia.
https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2019/11/16/hazards-of-breast-injections-with-fillers
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32936330/
Granulomas
forming after filler substance injection. Easy to perform, hard to remove.
I have seen
and treated many of these patients presenting even years after filler injection.
Some cases even warranted mastectomies (complete removal of breast tissues) and
reconstruction for treatment of the complication.
Infected
fillers removed surgically.
Fillers injected
in high volumes often do not fully disintegrate as claimed by manufacturers.
The only
lesson history has taught us so far in the use of fillers for breast
augmentation is this – we have not learnt anything from history and hence
history has repeated itself and is repeating itself.
I urge all
patients seeking breast augmentation to not take short-cuts and opt for breast
fillers no matter how tempting it may appear from an economic point of view (these
fillers are still not cheap and costs start from RM12,000 and up to RM45,000) and
also in seeking to avoid undergoing surgery at any costs (which contrary to popular
belief is safer than breast fillers).
#breastfillers
#dontdoit #breastfillerscomplications #aquafilling #macrolane #nonsurgicalbreastenlargement
#breastaugmentationfiller #fillergranulomas #fillerinfections #breastaugmentation
#fatgrafting #breastfatgrafting #breastimplants #hybridbreastaugmentation
#motivaimplants #motivaimplantsmalaysia #lifesilimplants #bliteimplants
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If you have
had complications after breast fillers treatment or would like to learn about
safe breast enhancement, please Whatsapp +6014 2006558 or call 03-5621 1909.
Alternatively, you may email contact@skincheckmalaysia.com
Sincerely
yours,
Dr Lee
Seng Khoo
