Complications and Treatment Strategy After Breast Augmentation by Polyacrylamide Hydrogel Injection: Summary of 10-Year Clinical Experience

From 1997 to 2006, polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) was approved for use in China as a permanent filler for breast augmentation, and it is estimated that 200,000 women have undergone PAAG injection since then. After injection, complications such as pain, mass, hematoma, asymmetry, migration, infection, and even cancer continue to emerge. Because of the potential toxicity and unstable nature of the material and the nonstandardized injection layers, complications after PAAG injection breast augmentation are often complex and difficult to treat. The only treatment for these complications is debridement surgery, which includes PAAG evacuation, capsule remove, lesion excision, and mastectomy. Currently, although there are a variety of surgical methods for complications after PAAG injection, there is a lack of consensus regarding the diagnosis and treatment. We systematically review the literature and summarize our experience of diagnosis and treatment of complications after PAAG injection in our hospital over the past 10 years. To date, this is the first attempt to propose a diagnostic classification for PAAG injection breast augmentation and to set out a treatment strategy based on this classification. Although the China Food and Drug Administration withdrew its approval in 2006, PAAG is still being used illegally in some areas, and the patient population is widespread. This study aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of PAAG complications to drive the standard diagnosis and treatment based on clinical classification, and to provide references for the future development of safer injectable products.

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