Augmentation mammaplasty using injected polyacrylamide hydrogel: Report of a recent case and literature review

Polyacrylamide hydrogel (PAAG) is a filler that has been strictly prohibited in France for many years. It first appeared on the market in 1980, used as an injectable for breast and facial augmentation, mainly in Asia and Eastern Europe. Like many other materials, it has shown unfavourable results and complications due to a foreign body reaction. It was banned in 2006, but continues to be injected illegally. With the influx of migrants, we are faced with the problem of how to manage complications, which can occur more than a decade later. We report our experience of a recent case in our department that required complete removal of the product and iterative lipofilling, with a result that remains sub-optimal, and we systematically review the literature.