What Injectable Filler Can be Used Around Custom Jaw Implants?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I was wondering if you could give me your opinion on the use of Aquamid. I’ve noticed in the US it isn’t FDA approved and have read about complications on the use of this injection product. My surgeon wants to use this around my jaw as my custom jaw implants have produced some dents and hollows around the point of the jaw to “fill them out”.  However as a patient I am very skeptical on this although it sounds rather straight forward.

A:  Aquamid, like all injectable filler materials is straightforward to place. It is just a question of whether the potential problems they can create are equally straightforward to solve.

All so called permanent fillers that create their effects by the placement of non-resorbable particles are prone to their own unique set of problems such as lumps and eventual tissue reactions. While it may never happen, and probably statistically won’t, when it does it will be a challenging problem as the material can not be removed from the tissues. There are many reasons Aquamid is not approved in the U.S. but, even if it was, I would likely never use it. There are numerous other options out there to use to help augment custom jaw implants that don’t have these potential problems or have a better proven track record. (e.g., fat injections, small mesh implants, Radiesse and Bellacol injections)

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana