Articol Removed from Lips

I had Articoll injected in my lips over 10 years ago, basically when it first came out. My lips looked great, I was actually quite happy with them but 5 years later I formed ganulomas.. and have had to have them surgically removed. I have had 5 minor surgerys about 8 months apart. My doctor did not want to remove it all at once to avoid indentation. I just had my last removal last week and am very happy with the results. I had alot of pain in my lips from the articoll and quite honestly would never put anything in my lips again. I on the other hand know people that have never had a problem with it, my body just didnt like it...

name of Dr. who removed the articoll.

I truly wish Artecoll was banned from being injected to the lips, but its removal from the lips is actually not a very difficult procedure, as I have had it done, and have had quite a few PS explain the procedure to me (all of whom described the procedure as quite simple). It's about an hour long procedure per lip. It's even more easy to remove than silicone (of which removal is much more common than artecoll). So don't stress!! It's distinguishable from your own lip tissue firstly by colour once the lip is cut open and secondly by texture due to the scar tissues it usually creates; for this reason, it is easier to identify exactly where and how much to resection. Of course there are things that you must be cautious about!! Firstly, most PS will do the incision where the lip's inner skin meets the lip's outer skin (the boarder where the mouth's interior mucous membrane meets the lip's outer skin). When cut along this boarder chances of scarring are VERY minimal as this area heals amazingly!! Like when you bite the inside of your cheeks. But when you get nearer to the vermillion boarder, scaring is much more likely. This procedure usually ranges from $2500 to $3000. The artistry and steady hands of your PS is definitely something to consider and to investigate! This is primary!!! Also, the attitude of your PS. The very LAST thing you should consider would be cost. Good work is worth at least 10X the cost of mediocre work in my opinion. There are actually a lot more PS out there who can do this procedure than you may realize as it's not very complicated, so DO NOT compromise yourself with just any PS!! Yes of course, make sure the doctor is certified and well recognized by peers etc etc, but sometimes that's not enough!! You'll still have many to pick from! So ask to look through as many before and after pics as possible - they should be willing to provide more before and after pics without charge (unless you also want the doctor to also look at your specific case), if they are unwilling to, you should be cautious. Investigate as many PS as possible. Look at their reviews not on their website but on public doctor review websites. After you've done this, pick at least two at the top of your list for a consultation. Assess their attitude. In my opinion, there is no reason for a doctor to be arrogant or intimidating to their patients, especially when they are charging a lot of money for the procedure. Do not let the doctor make you feel rushed, or that you're too paranoid, or uncomfortable in any way!! Book a consultation with another doctor if this happens. Listen to your instincts!! Does the doctor seem to make more excuses than reassure you? If so, then the procedure seems to protect him/her more than it does for you. For instance, if the doctor is adamant that you do not expect symmetry, be cautious. Of course expecting perfect symmetry is unrealistic, but obvious asymmetry should not be expected either, unless your situation is very complicated. The PS who did my lip gave me this impression. Even though I did feel it was unreasonable to expect perfect symmetry, it ended up that the PS unnecessarily cut way too much in an area that had very little (if any) Artecoll and caused a divot in my lip. When I showed the work to other PS they agreed that there was an unnecessary degree of asymmetry. I found out that the doctor should have measured both sides of my lip before cutting to ensure greater symmetry. So make sure that this is also something that your PS will do. There are other PS who have great track record to be confident enough to reassure you, of course there are always possible side effects, but it should not be the resounding message unless your situation is very complicated. Don't get me wrong, you should as well be cautious if the doctor promises you the moon. Remember, seeing many many before & after photos of each plastic surgeon's work will be the greatest reassurance you can get!! The ones they post on their websites are only their best jobs, so ask to see the ones they keep in their files as well. Good luck!! My PS was able to remove all of my artecoll without any scar (though I do have divots due to over resectioning, that hopefully will lessen over the years). Good luck!!