Study Raises Questions About a Facial Implant
Reuters (2008-05-19) ; Conlon, Michael
Spanish researchers say polyalkylimide-laced gels used in cosmetic surgery procedures may cause swelling and other complications. In a report by Dr. Jaume Alijotas-Reig and colleagues at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital and Autonomous University in Barcelona, Spain, researchers claim that early reports that portrayed polyalkylimide injections as harmless may be have been misleading.
They contend that "more recent evidence refutes" statements that the injectable gel left no serious signs of rejection of the material or adverse reaction, "and so the complete safety of polyalkylimide implant gels can no longer be assured." The group's findings were based on trial study on 25 patients, eight of whom had a prior silicone or other kind of implant.
A year or more after their surgeries, patients had developed a range of adverse reactions near the injection site of their implants, including hardening, swelling, nodules, fever, arthritis, and dry eyes or mouth. Researchers found that 11 of the group did not experience after effects from their implants, but 10 did. "We do not know the real number of cases that have developed delayed adverse effects because of the tendency of many physicians to not report negative events," the researchers said in their report.