Is polyacrylamide hydrogel injection safe?

Background: Polyacrylamide hydrogel has gained international attention as a new injectable permanent filler that appears to be ideal for soft-tissue augmentation. However, studies on the safety of polyacrylamide hydrogel injection are limited and inconsistent. In the authors' experience, polyacrylamide hydrogel injections can induce complications.

Do polyacrylamide hydrogel injections cause complications?

In the authors' experience, polyacrylamide hydrogel injections can induce complications. Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed all cases where patients injected with polyacrylamide hydrogel for cosmetic purposes between 2004 and 2007 at other clinics suffered complications that led them to come to the authors' facility.

Why is polyacrylamide hydrogel banned in China?

Once a popular injectable filler, polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) has been banned in China since 2006 due to its unclear safety and long-term complications. However, it is still being used worldwide because of its huge commercial profit, leading to emerging complications and an urgent need for standardized clinical management.

What is polyacrylamide hydrogel (Paag)?

Introduction Polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) is an extensively cross-linked polymeric hydrogel consisting of 2.5%–5% polyacrylamide and 95%–97.5% nonpyrogenic water.

Is Paag toxic?

Toxicity PAAG is a controlled molecular weight polymer formed by the polymerization of acrylamide monomers (AM), a well-known toxic substance with potential carcinogenic effects on neurological, reproductive, and other systems.7, 8, 9, 10 Residues of AM are inevitable during the manufacturing process.

When did Paag become an injectable filler?

The clinical use of PAAG as an injectable filler started in Ukraine and has been extensively used for aesthetic purposes in European countries since the late 1980s.1,2 In December 1997, PAAG (“Interfall”, Ukraine Interfall Co., Ltd, Kyiv, Ukraine) entered China as an injectable filler.