Polyacrylamide gel 10 years experience: with particular reference to complications from filling of the body of the lip.
BACKGROUND
A review of 242 facial treatments, in 86 different patients, with polyacrylamide gel (PAAG) was carried out by the author between 2003 and 2013.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate by retrospective study the long-term outcomes of PAAG filling for facial contouring. To quantify adverse events and patient comfort in prior mixing 0.3 mL of 2% lidocaine/1 mL PAAG and decanting into a smaller volume syringe.


METHOD
Review of clinical records combined with a patient survey.


RESULTS



COMPLICATIONS
11 of 166 (6.6%) lip body infections; 1 of 202 (0.5%) in other sites. Addition of 2% lidocaine (55 treatments/28 patients) reduced lip body infections (8.7% to 5.7%, P < 0.05%) and mean pain score (8/10 to 2/10). No patients sustained any long-term side effects and all (even those infected) were eventually satisfied. Seven lip asymmetries, after infected PAAG drainage, were corrected with further PAAG, showing adverse events to be contamination rather than immune reaction.


CONCLUSION
Facial usage of PAAG with lidocaine results in high levels of patient satisfaction and low incidence of side effects (0.5%) except in the lip body (6.6%). Potential users, fearful of complications, may more readily use this cost-effective and long-lasting dermal filler if they avoid injection of the lip body.