Summary
Bio-Alcamid™ (Polymekon, Italy) is a relatively new, injectable soft tissue endoprosthesis
that is recommended for correcting soft tissue defects and contour deformities. It
consists of 96% water and 4% synthetic polymeric polyalkylimide, and once injected
becomes enclosed within a thin collagen capsule.
Materials and method
We have treated a selected series – 34 patients, 57 anatomical sites treated in 64
treatment sessions, with a range of 2.5 ml to 110 ml injected per site per injection. The indications have been as diverse as anti-retrovirus
treatment associated facial lipoatrophy, pectus excavatum and post-breast reconstruction
contour deformities. The patients were followed up in clinics and through a postal
questionnaire survey.
Results
The longest follow up we have now is over eighteen months. The results have been uniformly
good and satisfactory to both patients and the surgeon. The patients tolerated the
treatment very well under local anaesthesia. The questionnaire survey showed universally
high degrees of satisfaction. The biggest advantages of Bio-Alcamid over other filler
injections have been permanency of volume correction and a very natural soft feel
of the treated areas. Many patients required a single treatment only to correct significant
volume defects.
Conclusion
In our experience, Bio-Alcamid is safe and fulfils most of the criteria of an ideal
injectable filler material.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Bio-alcamid: a novelty for reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.Ital J Anat Embryol. 2002; 107: 209-214
- Interventions for managing antiretroviral therapy-associated lipoatrophy.Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2005; 18: 25-33
- Bio-Alcamid in drug-induced lipodystrophy.J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2003; 5: 226-230
- The Polyalkylimide gel: experience with bio-alcamid.Semin Cutan Med Surg. 2004; 23: 236-240
- Bio-Alcamid: an electron microscopic study after skin implantation.Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004; 113: 1104-1106
- Bio-Alcamid, a novel prosthetic polymer, does not interfere with morphological and functional characteristics of human skin fibroblasts.Plast Reconstr Surg. 2003; 111: 489-491
- In vitro and in vivo biocompatibility evaluation of a polyalkylimide hydrogel for soft tissue augmentation.J Biomed Mater Res. 2005; 15: 230-238
- Human-derived and new synthetic injectable materials for soft-tissue augmentation: current status and role in cosmetic surgery.Plast Reconstr Surg. 2000; 105: 2515-2525
Article info
Publication history
Published online: February 10, 2007
Accepted:
July 23,
2006
Received:
June 4,
2006
Identification
Copyright
© 2007 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
