Sculptra: Stories

I did not get sculptra and I am glad I didn't after reading the issues with it on this site. Thank you for your advice.

I just had a consult today with a facial plastic surgeon. I am in my 50s and I am interested in plumping out smile lines & cheeks. When I entered the surgeon's office, a Sculptra video was on the TV, and during the consult, it was suggested as an alternative to surgery. He said it was too soon for a face lift and that I could maybe try silicone cheek implants or Sculptra. I had not thought of it after reading some of the problems people have had...but this surgeon quoted me on it. It seems that some doctors "push" this stuff...I was leaning toward cheek impants......they can be removed but the doctor said I should also consider Sculptra and quoted me on it. BTW.....do you know whether Silikon 1000 risky too?

Dear Dr. Chris, There are so many of us out there suffering. My delayed onset came after 6 months . The cellulitis, ganulomas, papules and nodules, the lumps, masses,the asymmetry of the face and eyes, the uveitis, and the day to day inflammation is endless. My ps didn't believe it was the product until the ultra sounds and the positive foreign body granuloma diagnosis, but when I gave them the releases reports from sanofi about the delayed onsets cases.etc. They stopped using the product.I have been suffering for only 8 months but have given your email to those that have been suffering for years. We just can't shut the product off or remove it until it becomes a granuloma and Please go to sculptra damage.com to see more. I was used in a path report for a medical review journal . The granuloma was significant in size. I hope you can help us or at least get the message out about the true damage of those with a good auto immune system thank you !!Bless you for taking an interest and trying !!!

got autoimmune response several days after 2ND SCULPTRA treatment with less than 1 CC in cheeks. severe joint pain in hands and swelling of joints. after !st trmt of 3ccs had one finger pain and did not put it together. 3 months between treatments. now 2 mos after 2nd trmt and still joint pain.

Thank you for your comments about your experience with vicryl sutures. I am about 6 years post sculptra injections and I still have a lump under my eye. I hope someday it goes away. It is very noticeable when I smile and the eye is much smaller then the other. Since having the sculptra I now have immune issues. I have to have blood infusions twice a week. Maybe this is not related to the sculptra I don't know but before sculptra I had no issues. Just wishing I had never done the injections- things have not been right since. kooie

What a load of crap. Even with the "best" injector and the "new" methods disasters continue to happen. Physicians are using this product without understanding what is happening at a microscopic level and how the persons entire immune system responds. Many of us may have never come down with an immune disease. Thanks to Sculptra we have. I have in my hands a document from Sanofi Aventis that tells of the common long lasting adverse events. You cant be fixed when this stuff goes wrong.

I have been suffering from Sculptra damage for over 8 months I am appalled that at the time I was injected there was no mention of the delayed onset of this "Class III medical device" as titled by the FDA and as to the injector the sculptra rep/ps was the instructor!! along with very reputable plastic surgeons !! I looked great for ^months then all hell broke loose. I was treated in the ER for severe cellulitis with IV vancomycin I have had 2 foreign body granulomas removed !! Nodules papules that's nothing!! How about the masses in each cheek??? and the severe swelling day to day? They cannot shut the product off and it cannot be removed until a granuloma is formed. Steroids Iv or oral decreases the inflammation,but the cellulite with all its nooks and crannies remain. Injections of hydrocortisone with saline weekly then bi monthly. You can't imagine the bruising,discoloration and the atrophy My plastic surgeons felt at the on set that it couldn't be the product because I would have signs earlier, they contacted the rep/instructor who was a ps himself and he agreed this couldn't be the product. I then sought consultation with a M.D in infection control who uses the product treating faces of those with HIV, she knew exactly what the cause was from she sees it often!!!Being in the medical world myself, I contacted Sarnofi and they released pages of delayed onset reactions and how other physicians were treating this dilemma and they could not and would not recommend a treatment of choice. My plastic surgeons couldn't believe what I brought to them and now will not use the product. Believe me I massaged so well. I did my own dermabrasion.To date I have so many cases that have been going on disfigured like myself for years. A women whom I contacted in the Netherlands has written a book.I"m happy that you haven't seen cases like Kooie and myself but we have cases of many people just like us and maybe when you get a patient like us you will understand the damage this product is capable of doing. Some documentation is starting to surface on the systemic effects such as sjogren's, sarcoidosis. Wish you the best of luck. I just wish some of these doctors would have this product used on themselves, if they feel this the best thing out there..

As always you make my point Keith, quote from Keith " Scuptra is tricky; definitely not for a doc that does it 3x a week. You need to find someone who has been doing it every day for years. Good luck finding one here with that kind of experience." THIS STATEMENT is true enough ...being its that tricky I 'd say the product must have some issues. Gee anything that is that difficult to work with must be a weird substance to begin with. koo

Keith you are absolutely correct. People are naive in believing that any doctor (and shockingly in some case nurses!) can administer Scupltra with good results. Every procedure takes skill - some more so than others. Unfortunately, people don't research the background of the doctor in advance. Others opt for someone who is nearby or shop for bargains. This is true not only in the case of cosmetic procedures. I certainly sympathize with those who have had poor results from the various treatments on this site, however most are more the victims of inexperienced practioners than of poor products. Not all products are good, and not all good products are good for everybody. A doctor who is skilled with a product will know if its the right product for each particular patient. If they are at all ethical, they'll dissuade a patient from a procedure that's not right for them. Further, most doctors who have extensive experience with Sculptra will tell you frankly that in the early days it was not diluted sufficient, hence the formation of lumps in some patients. A doctor who does a lot of work with Scupltra knows where and how to inject it. As Keith, again, correctly points out, there are very doctors who have in-depth clinical experience with Sculptra. So if you're not willing or able to travel and can't afford what is an expensive treatment, then don't opt for Sculptra. There are many other alternatives.

Hi Keith, Im also one of Amard's old patients, is your Doctor Mr Danny V.? Thanks for any help

hello keith. I am living in Europe, too. Can you please tell me the name of your new doctor in switzerland?? Thank you in advance.