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Ask the Experts about Facial Wasting
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Is PMMA fine considering Artefill is not avilable?
Apr 4, 2009

Hi, I read your answer about a study comapring PMMA and Artefill. Seeing that Artefill is no longer available and PMMA is much cheaper,would PMMA be a suitable substitute permanent filler. Is the difference between the two so dramatically different?

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   Response from Dr. Pierone

One of the reasons that people head for Tijuana or Brazil for PMMA treatment is because the product is much more affordable south of the border. Artefill (when it was available) was cost prohibitive for almost all patients with HIV facial lipoatrophy because of the significant volume needed for correction (5 to 30 ml depending on the degree of lipoatrophy).

I have spoken with two of the doctors who have extensive experience with the NewPlastic brand of Brazilian PMMA (Luis Casavantes in Mexico and Denis Valente in Brazil) and they mention complication (granuloma formation) rates from PMMA in the 0.1 percent range. So this brand has a track record with a low complication rate.

I don't know about the complication rate from the PMMA that they use at Clinica Estetica in Tijuana. I have heard that Dr. Serra in Brazil uses Metacrill, and based on the published literature, this product does not look so great (although it may have been improved since the studies were performed).

I hope that this information helps and best of luck to you!


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