ArteFill: Stories

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Artefill Artecoll Lumps

skincare miami
posted 4 years ago
updated 4 years ago

Not Worth It
Cost: $300
Miami, Florida

I did this after i noticed my laugh line being...

1 May 2009

I did this after i noticed my laugh line being more pronounced and i thought it would be great to remove them, the doctor i think injected outside the actual lines so now the lines are more pronounced. I hate my results 'cause not only that but i have lumps where they injected.

I am hoping there is now a way to dissolve or safe surgery to remove . I heard that if i remove some tissue will go with it creating pocket, since then i have read there is procedure for culturing fibroblast from my self then injecting back to fill said pockets and even the wrinkle laugh lines themselves might go away.

Can someone advise some opinions, i realise specifically each case is different , i just want opinions of the ideas involved.

Great review?

Comments (126)

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paperdoll01 1 Feb 2013

I had artefill injected about 20 months ago. Around 14 months after the injection I began to have lumps form at each of the injection sites. I have been taking prednisone for several months and this has all but reduced the lumps, however, I know this isn't a long term solution. As soon as I stop taking it the lumps begin to form again. They are in the cheek area and are only slightly visible. Based on the information posted, I believe I must have granulomas. Does anyone know if these lumps get worse over time or if they may resolve on their own? I'm skeptical to do the steroid injection as I don't want to trade one problem for another.

fullofplastik 1 Feb 2013

I would NOT recommend the kenalog injection, I ended up with long term complications, as if the lump was not bad enough. The steroid may damage healthy tissue too. I do not have a solution for you and do not know what the long term outcome is. I am still battling problems.

fullofplastik 1 Feb 2013

I you are considering pmma please, don't do it !!

reallysad 1 Feb 2013

What type of long term complications did you end up with after kenalog? Did you have multiple doses or just one?

paperdoll01 5 Feb 2013

Thank you for your reply. It's helpful to get honest feedback. My doctor makes everything sound very easy and unsubstantial... which I have found out the hard way is not always the way of things.

LoriIB 5 Feb 2013

I have only one lump on the left side of my chin. I keep pressing on it hoping that maybe it will break up or flatten out. The only thing I am doing is making it more swollen. I wish it would resolve on its own, but is has been three years and still looks the same. What kind of prednisone are you taking -- is it topical or pill form?

wwills 5 Feb 2013

Hi Lori, I'm not taking Prednisone. Maybe someone else can help you with this info.

LoriIB 5 Feb 2013

Hi, I was trying to post this under Paperdoll01 but it posted at the end. In her post, she says that she took prednisone and it helped a little. I was wondering what dose and in what form she took it.

paperdoll01 6 Feb 2013

Hey there, it's pill form. I started out on 20 mg back in November and am at 5 mg now. I can't even feel the lumps, however, when the dosage is dropped than I start to feel the lumps. It's been a very slow process. I was just in the office yesterday and talked about the likely hood of the prednisone resolving the issue or if the lumps may just return and the PA said that everything she has heard indicates that whatever is causing the inflamation will burn out. I'm hoping that's the case. I'm going another month on 5mg, than will drop down again, one day on - one day off and see how things react.

LoriIB 26 Jan 2013

Has anyone had any luck with their Artefill lumps? It has been three years since my chin was overfilled. I still can't get past this! The area is raised and looks uneven. My life is never going to be the same - I don't have any self-confidence at all. Basically hide all the time. I don't know what to do. Because of this I am now on antidepressants. I don't think this will help anyway. All I want is the way my chin used to look. Sorry I ruined my life.

wwills 30 Jan 2013

Hi Lori, There is a doctor in Austin Texas, Dr Robert Ersek that may be able to help. He has many years experience dealing with this type of issue. Depending on your situation, he may try to remove with a process he calls "core drilling". I had some success with removal of Artecoll this way. The name of his practice is “Personique”. Most definitely worth investigating. If you do see him, please let me know how it goes.

LoriIB 30 Jan 2013

Thank you, I will look into this.

wwills 30 Jan 2013

Please keep me posted. Thanks.

barbara7280 16 May 2012

Is there any possibility that Dr. Cassuto would share his techniques with other doctors? Personally I would take some scaring to have the PMMA out.

wwills 24 Apr 2012

Hi Lori,
I wouldn't expect the product to dissolve but maybe there is still some scar tissue around the Artefill that could be further reduced with Kenalog. Also, any chance of adding filler around the Artefill to better blend the lumpy areas?
wwills

LoriIB 25 Apr 2012

Hi, Not really. The two separate areas are close together. It almost looks like a donut (raised area with a flat area in the middle).

The other lump that I did receive Kenalog for, which helped but also created indents - I filled in with Juvederm while I was waiting for the indents to fill back in. The indents have filled back in but the area is still raised. Looks like it did the first time ArteFill was overfilled. The doctor said that the Juvederm might still be in there and that is why it looks raised. I kept putting a lot of Juverdem in the area - a total of 3 syringes within the six months. I haven't had any Juvederm in over a year. Is it possible that there could still be some Juvederm still in my chin? Can Juvederm last more than a year?

LoriIB 24 Apr 2012

Hi, In May of 2010 I had ArteFill injected in chin, which was overfilled resulting in a lump. It has been two years and from the treatments I have received (like Kenalog) it has improved, but I can still see some product.
Has anyone had a lump that eventually dissolved over the years? I am hoping one day that my chin area will be flat again. The imperfection is in two separate areas - resulting in a lumpy chin. Can't stand it.

Reviewer by self experience 3 Feb 2012

I had several treatments of artefield and i think is a good product, however it comes only .8 cc per syringe and the regular price is atleast $1000 some times specials offers are available, the point is that in my opinion is better to use in areas that are not too deep unless you are aware of the amount you might need and agree with the cost. Deeper areas can be fill with fat injections which work perfect. Try to have at least 3 proffessional opinions of doctors that actually perform both of the procedures.Do not trust one Plastic Offices's "Consultants" who are genarally "Sales People" you safety is not for sale. Read reviews which usually are the best way to have a clue of what can really happen in real life.

reallysad 6 Dec 2011

I had a total of 1 syringe (0.8cc) injected under my eyes 4.5 weeks ago. Immediately after the injection, I had a raised spot in my tear trough area. It goes all the way down my trough and is 1/4" x 7/8" long. I went back to the injector (not a doctor, PA at a medispa) immediately, and she said it was the bovine collagen and that it will go down. I continued to go back every week, and she kept telling me to wait. She is finally willing to inject it hydrolinaise (sp?), but I am very hesitant to do this because that is what you use on dissolvable fillers. Her next course of action is to do IPL over it. Then she said she will try steroids.

Needless to say, I am frustrated and I have obtained a second opinion from a cosmetic surgeon. She injects Artifill, but has never seen this problem. She confirmed that it was injected superficially. She has talked to a colleague who is a reputable cosmetic surgeon in Beverly Hills, and he told her that it needed to be removed. The nurse called me today to say that the surgeon wants to see me on Friday to remove it using a small needle. Afterwards, there will be additional treatment that she is going to talk to me about when I see her. I have no idea what this is. I am so scared and depressed that I can't think or do anything else.

The lump in my tear trough actually feels inflamed and it is slightly painful. I hadn't been massaging the area, but the surgeon advised me to. I massaged it for three days, and now it is very hard. It was softer before. I can feel a hard lump under my skin that I can pop back and forth.

I really need any advice that anyone can give because I need to make a decision this week. I feel like I am on a time line, and I don't know if I should wait it out or do something before the PMMA kicks in (when is that supposed to be?). I have been told this is not PMMA, but that it is the collagen (that was supposed to dissipate within 4-6 weeks). I see no dissipation or improvement. Any insight or advice is great appreciated!

LoriIB 1 May 2012

Hi reallysad, I was wondering if you found a solution to your problem?

reallysad 1 May 2012

Unfortunately, I have not. I went the conservative route and waited, hoping the product would dissipate. It hasn't improved at all. As a matter of fact, I think it has gotten a little larger. This could be swelling since I have a lot of that around the area. I have chosen not to inject Kenalog or 5FU because I plan to have this surgically removed. I have been told that steroids can break down regular tissue resulting in a higher risk of indent when it's taken out. I have found an oculoplastic surgeon who is willing to help, but he wants to correct the ocular surface problems I am currently facing because the product was injected too close to my eye.

How is your situation? Has it improved?

LoriIB 2 May 2012

I did go the Kenalog route, which did leave an indent. While I was waiting for the indent to fill back in I was filling the indent with Juvederm. I received a total of 3 syringes in that area within six months. The indent did fill back in, but the area still looks overfilled. The doctor I am seeing now tells me that I might still have some Jiuvederm in there, but it has been over a year since I had any injections of Juvederm? He told me to massage the area for ten minutes everyday, but when I do massage it just makes the lump worse.

I have decided to stop massaging and hope that eventually this will flatten out.

I was injected in two different areas -- one area looks like a donut affect (flat in the middle with raised areas) I don't think this will ever go away. You can actually see the product. The other area is just overfilled.

From what I have read, they say it takes five years to maybe go down, so far I am at two.

I think it's really sad that you go to someone and think they have your best interest in mind, when all they really care about is how much money they can make. I curse the day I ever met Carrie Ireland!!!

How long before you have the ArteFill surgically removed? I hope this works for you.

barbara7280 16 Nov 2011

I hope to see Casavantes again, i must wait until my passport is renewed. He is a competent injector and knows the protocol as well as any doctor. Dr. Hoenig suggested surgery to correct my issues. I only need to determine how I can pay for it. The filler weighted my face down The 50/50 solution Casavantes told me is for volume reduction.

fullofplastik 16 Nov 2011

I had New Plastic (Brazil)
Artefill is much purer but also much more expensive.

fullofplastik 15 Nov 2011

Thanks Barbara, I am at 3wks with no issues so far..

http://escholarship.org/uc/item/4s59v3pv

p384

"The steroid must be injected
strictly into the nodule while guiding the needle tip back
and forth. Corticosteroids injected into the surrounding soft
tissue, especially fat, may cause temporary or, rarely,
permanent skin atrophy."

I hope this helps. There are other recent papers if you google lemperle or pmma granuloma, ect..