Will Radiesse Have Any Effect on Pregnancy?

Hi Latte.  If the 4-5 month plan for your pregnancy is possibly sooner rather than later, we would definitely not suggest it.  

While there is no evidence to suggest that your baby would be at risk if you were to have these injections and then become pregnant, there is also not compelling reason to risk it if a pregnancy is relatively likely.

No physician in their right mind is going to want to move forward with this procedure if it's likely you will become pregnant in the near future.

There are two components to why you should wait for Radiesse after pregnancy.  

First of all, there is limited data on the effects of facial fillers and the impact of pregnancy.  Much better to avoid any risk and wait.  

Second of all, facial fillers are not often requested for aging purposes in pregnancy due to the fact that increased blood flow and volume occurs during this time, making the use of a facial filler inappropriate.

Since you are talking about Radiesse for the nose, beware of the many issues with Radiesse injection in the nose and the likelihood if a rhinoplasty is needed that your operation will likely not be possible or limited due the permanent damage caused by Radiesse.

As surgeons and physicians (and both) we often error on the side of safety. What is the benefit vs. the risk? While it is not clear that the risks are large, delaying Radiesse treatment for a few months would be the advice we would provide at our San Francisco area practice.
You should also be a bit cautious about a practioner that would provide a non-FDA approved treatment during your pregnancy. Maybe there are other corners they might cut.
As always, seek a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist.
I hope this helps.

Our office has a very strict policy in terms of facial fillers and pregnancy.

Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Clinic will not perform elective procedures, including facial fillers, botox injections, surgery, and other non-emergency or life-threatening procedures during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is an extremely crucial period in the development of the fetus. We advise patients to delay elective procedures as the effects on the fetus by these medicines have not been clearly defined.
Our advice is to delay all treatment.
Questions: spakare@yahoo.com
Raffy Karamanoukian, MD www.karemd.com Kare Plastic Surgery & Skin Health Clinic Santa Monica, Los Angeles Plastic Surgery

Hi Latte,
Radiesse will have no effect on your pregnancy if you are planning to "get going" on it in 4 to 5 months. Obviously no studies have been performed on this exact scenario, but I am confident that there have been many patients who had been treated with Radiesse (and with much larger volumes than those used in the nose) who subsequently became pregnant without suffering any ill effects on their pregnancy.
In today's medical-legal climate, I would be forced to advise you to wait until after you have your baby. Sadly, too often, bad things happen during pregnancies in the most health conscious patients without having any injections. If it were my wife, I would not hesitate to treat her.
Good luck with your plans, and be well.
Dr. P

Latte,
In this medicolegal climate no surgeon in his right mind is going to tell you "it's fine, go ahead, there's absolutely no risk" without some clarification. Unfortunately, medical facts don't always avert law suits and even though there may be no cause and effect where a medical treatment and adverse event are concerned, there is no shortage of lawyers who would argue against the scientific facts. It is highly unlikely that there would be any effect on a pregnancy from Radiesse, but consider your conscience if you went ahead with the treatment and then, God forbid, suffered some event during your pregnancy. You would forever be second guessing your decision.

Since you are expressing concern about the safety of your future pregnancy, you ought to wait until after the pregnancy. We're talking about an elective cosmetic procedure, not treatment of skin disease. Though the risk would seem to be extremely low, safety still has not been established in pregnancy. Why create another reason for you to worry during pregnancy?