Can I Get Hip Implants If I Had Have Prior Aquafil Injections?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I had 300ccs of Aaquafil injection into my hips last year. I am interested now in getting hip implants for more volume. Is it safe to do so after these injections?

A: Aquafil is an injectable filler that is composed of 97% saline and 3% polyamidized hydrophilic gel. (It is not FDA-approved in the US) It is a filler that is allegedly absorbed but can take up to five years or more to do so. While a 300cc injection is really about 30 cc of the actual gel material (or less) the actual amount of material there is relatively small. But it primarily works by inducing  a lot of scar tissue reaction around it. BUT with the high rate of seromas (fluid collections) in hip implants anything that could increase that risk gives one pause.

It is hard to say for certain that it would or would not be a problem knowing the total volume injected. But given that this is elective surgery is always wise to limit risks when possible. Certainly the safest course is to not proceed with the hip implants for now and await one day when one is more certain that the filler has gone away….or at least there s less of it.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana