Wanted Solution to Hollow Cheeks, Disaster!!! - Sydney, AU

As i last wrote, i was referred to a Cosmetic Dermatologist, Prof Anand Deva. As soon as i entered his rooms he correctly diagnosed my problem & showed me previous cases which are now appearing much more frequently. I have a Subcutaneous Biolfilm Staff infection. I have been & will be on antibiotics for months. Last week i had a surgical procedure under general anesthetic to debride the right cheek & remove damaged tissue & infection. It was expensive, painful & quite alarming.
The Doctor who injected Aquamid into my face 4 years ago is quite highly regarded here in Sydney with a good reputation & adviser to Media publications. The clinic was clean, procedures adhered to, i asked all the relevant questions before procedure, equipment sterile & safe handling of product & my face, & still i am in this situation.I was told that there had never been any adverse reactions to Aquamid & it was a safe product.
As with ALL Dermal fillers there is a risk factor for infection which is purported to be quite low. If a patient is unlucky enough to suffer an infection with non-permanent fillers the treatment options although still serious are much more optimistic as antibiotics & the bodies own natural defenses can access the bacteria.The dangers with Permanent Fillers such as Aquamid are the Biofilm bacteria can and do remain dormant in the structure of the cross-linked polyacrylamide , and not manifest till years after injection as is my case. Quote from Online- NCBI Dovepress-Dermal fillers in aesthetics: an overview of adverse events and treatment approaches ; *"The structural changes that some nonbiodegradable fillers undergo during years in situ in human tissue may be one reason why adverse reactions to these permanent fillers occur clinically with a delay of several years". Alarmingly it seems that the product may never be stable but remain prone to Biofilm infection. I had two outbreaks, one last year at about 4 years post injection, the second in March this year, both with serious outcomes. The episode last year saw many tests, aspirations, biopsies etc but none of the tests were specific enough to detect a Biofilm infection, hence i was told no infection present. Quite a serious misdiagnosis from Various Medicos. As i have mentioned , Prof Deva knew immediately my situation. I am now part of a thesis/paper Prof Deva is undertaking regarding this Medical Condition.He presented to a Conference in Montreal last month.
If any of you are considering fillers please take away what i have learned the hard way :
1 Avoid permanent fillers.
2 Google, research, read prior experiences. New info is appearing now, one strong theory is that antibiotic treatment before a procedure can be hugely preventive of infection.
3 Always go to a professional Dr [although this is not a safeguard guarantee as its what i did ]
4 Question the multiple entry of the same needle, a good avenue for infection.
5 Educate yourself on Biofilm Infection. i knew nothing about this but i do now.......
I'm optimistic i can eventually recover from this 'event'. I may need my own body fat injected into my face in the future to rectify defects. Do Google "Dermal fillers in aesthetics: an overview of adverse events and treatment approaches". Its a must read.
Wish you all Health & Happinness,
; ) B.T.

I had Aquamid injected into both cheeks in March,2010 to help with the sallow, hollow face look. For a few years the result was good, although the 'permanent' product does drop with aging. In May 2014 the whole left side of me face became very swollen, painful & full of fluid. I had many biopsies & test on what became a large lump on my left cheek. Nothing came back positive, no infection, no fungus, no tumour, just a horrific reaction to the filler i had injected 4 years prior. That settled after 11 months, & adding hyaluronic filler to improve contour. On the 28th March 2015 the right side of my face has done exactly the same thing!!! No one can explain the reaction & its Very disturbing that it happens Post after 4-5 years. AVOID Aquamid totally would be my advice. I now have to deal with my face for another 11 months to get it to look normal, ay more cost. Disaster!!!!