Uruguayan Experience with Biopolymers
摘要
In recent decades, there has been a worldwide increase in the demand for non-surgical body remodeling and facial rejuvenation procedures, with 14.8 million injectable procedures performed in 2023, according to ISAPS statistics. In Uruguay, this increase in the demand for filling procedures has resulted in unqualified or poorly qualified personnel intruding into the practice of this procedure and the emergence of cosmetic surgery tourism. Filling materials are divided into resorbable and non-resorbable, varying availability depending on the countries and their regulations. However, the worldwide consensus is that applying liquid silicone for tissue-filling is illegal. Despite the above, a black market for this practice targets a fraction of the more vulnerable and exposed population. The procedure’s unlawful nature means there are no statistical records in Uruguay, and only cases with severe and late complications reach the consulting room. Numerous local and systemic complications have been described, including siliconomas, tissue necrosis, migration of biopolymers to other areas and organs, and systemic disease associated with adjuvants. The cases presented involve patients of the Plastic Surgery Department of the Hospital de Clínicas and the Plastic Surgery Service of the Pasteur Hospital.