Facts You Need to Know about RADIESSE

What do you need to know about Radiesse?

Fast Facts about Radiesse

• Radiesse is an injectible filler made of calcium hydroxylapatite microspheres, which has the same chemical constituent of teeth and bone.
• Radiesse has been approved by the FDA on December of 2006 for correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as the nasolabial fold.
• When Radiesse is injected into soft tissue, such as the dermis, this causes fibroblasts proliferation and new collagen formation. 
• Pre-clinical studies have shown that Radiesse was shown to be non-toxic, non-mutagenic, non-antigenic and non-irritating.
• The clinical outcome of Radiesse is expected to last up to 12-24 months.  

Potential Complications of Radiesse

• The most common adverse event requiring clinical intervention after injection with Radiesse was the development of nodules of the lip.  This typically occurs within 6 to 12 weeks after injection into the lips.
• 12.4% of patients in one study developed lip nodules after injection for lip augmentation.
• Treatment of the nodules can range from massage therapy, steroid injection to surgical excision of the nodules.
• Injection into the tiny vessels of the face may occur with any dermal filler.  Although this complication is rare, intraarterial embolization of any dermal filler may cause necrosis of the face, and even blindness.  
• Lumps may occur after Radiesse injection, especially after intramuscular injection such as the orbicularis oculi (muscles around the eye.)

Before one undergoes a simple non-invasive procedure, such as a Radiesse injection, one should be informed about the possible adverse outcomes that can potentially happen.  I recommend asking your plastic surgeon for any questions about Radiesse prior to undergoing this procedure.

Emmanuel De La Cruz MD


References:
Jansen et al. Evaluation of Calcium Hydroxylapatite-Based Implant (Radiesse) for Facial Soft Tissue Augmentation.  Plastic Reconstructive Surgery. 2006 Volume 118, 3S: 22-30s
Lemperle et al. Avoiding and Treating Dermal Filler Complications. Plastic Reconstructive Surgery. 2006 Volume 118 3S: 92-106S