What Are Artefill Injection Risks?

First, let me express my skepticism about how many "draining granulomas" my colleagues have seen from ArteFill "8 years after" its injection. Artefill was approved for use in 2006 (THREE years ago). So any patients injected eight years ago would have either 1) not been injected with Artefill, or 2) were from the very early beginning of the experimental study group of patients prior to its approval. Indeed, granulomas are hard to treat (not impossible). But what is the... more

Artifill uses PMMA (plastic) beads, materials which are non-biologic and have no natural defenses against infection. If bacteria form around the beads, the body has no defense against them (i.e. no blood vessels of its own to carry white blood cells or antibiotics) as the bacteria multiply on the foreign object. The body will often try to encapsulate the involved area with scar tissue, calcium deposits and inflammatory tissue as white blood cells degranulate, or discharge their acid sack... more

I have seen draining granulomas develop in patients 8 years after their ArteFill was injected who had no problems in between. This is very alarming and difficult to treat. Avoid all permament fillers!

ArteFill is a gel filler consisting of millions of synthetic microspheres (polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA) suspended in purified bovine (cow) collagen. This product sounded like a bad idea to me when it was first introduced. Countless reports of lumps, bumps, and granulomas by patients who have been injected with this product. Over the last few years, this product has become less and less popular and currently, the company is in bankruptcy.

Artefill is a good product but there are some long term problems such as granulomas which can be very difficult to treat. Of note, the company which makes Artefill filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy at the end of 2008. There are other permanent options including silicone, but some fat from the belly or thighs can be used in places that would be otherwise amenable to Artefill or other permanent fillers.

Artefill is currently the only filler FDA- approved that lasts longer than 5 years.  It has very nice injecting characteristics, in that it feels soft, it lays down nicely as the injector places it.  We've had some great results with it in my practice. Because it gives longer lasting results it's probably a good idea to have someone perform it that really specializes in dermafillers.  You may even want that injector to try one of the shorter acting fillers... more

I have not personally injected ArteFill® but am told the advantages include more volume and research documents longer lasting results than other presently FDA-approved dermal fillers. Silicone in not FDA approved as a dermal filler, nor is it recommended. Longer-lasting fillers like ArteFill, (approved to treat the nasolabial folds or lines from the nose to the outer corners of the mouth) offer some advantage: The duration of results means that you do not have to inject regularly... more