What Do You Know About PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) As a Facial Implant Material.

Question

I understand it's a relatviely new material & used for custom implants occasionally. I'm looking for information on it, & how it compares to porex or silicone, why use it? Does it integrate with tissues like porex? Do it cause the formation of scar tissue? Is it more or less resistant to infection than other materials? Is it easier or more diffcult to remove than other materials? Does it feel more like bone than other materials? The above questions is the type of info I'm looking for. Thanks

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

John

	PEEK is being used as a facial implant material.  No it does not integrate.  It can be customized.  So it can be fabricated for unique situations.  I personally like hand carving implants for custom use rather than silicone but silicone implants have an impressive track record in clinical practice.  Will PEEK implants prove to be a useful addition to the range of available implants?  TIme will tell.  For now it is probably best for clinical studies and unusual situations for which other materials with a proven track record are not quite right.

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

PEEK as a facial implant. I have no experience with this since I have used solid silicone implants for 35 years without a problem except a rare infection. Don't participate in the learning curve with new materials until they have many years of use.

What Do You Know About PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) As a Facial Implant Material.

Answers (2)