TOPIC: PMMA After Ellanse

Hey guys. Long time lurker, first time poster. I posted a comment a couple days ago on the Mixing Linnea with Bellafil post that describes my situation. I'll repost it below for those who haven't seen it.

I just had my consultation with Dr. Morganstern this morning as I'm interested in their Bellafill procedure. I've had 22ml of Ellanse L (3 year lifespan) injected with Dr. C in Tijuana over two trips about a year apart. My first round is coming up on exactly 3 years ago and I've noticed some nodules on the lower right of my shaft that weren't there before so I believe this to be related to the resorption of the Ellanse although my MEG measurements remain unchanged. Just to restate, I haven't lost size, I've just noticed a bit of lumpiness to the touch recently that I don't recall being there before. I've been searching the boards for months now to see if anyone else in my position (prior Ellanse approaching end of life) have had similar experiences but haven't found much so I thought I'd put my experience out there.

With that being said, I thought it time for a touchup with Dr. Carney at Morganstern but was concerned that I may not be able to given my prior Ellanse filler. Dr. Morganstern said it was no problem to inject Bellafill on top of the existing Ellanse insinuating that the existing collagen created from the Ellanse filler will be a beneficial base for the Bellafill. I also asked about having the allergy test done and he said he has never seen an allergic reaction in the 4 years they've been using Bellafill and didn't deem the allergy test necessary but, if I wanted it, they could overnight it to my primary care physician to administer.

I'm genuinely curious if anyone else has been in my position with Ellanse reaching end of life and experiencing some lumpiness and minor aesthetic irregularities in the process? I'm also curious if anyone with prior Ellanse has had PMMA injected afterwards. Finally, I'm curious as to the community's take on potentially skipping the allergy test for Bellafill. Even with Dr. Morganstern's belief that it's unnecessary, it still makes me somewhat uncomfortable to not have it done. For those who have had Bellafill done, did you guys do the allergy test or skip it? If you had it done, how far in advance was it administered?

I think I've asked enough questions haha, look forward to hearing your guys' feedback.

tinoba wrote: Hey guys. Long time lurker, first time poster. I posted a comment a couple days ago on the Mixing Linnea with Bellafil post that describes my situation. I'll repost it below for those who haven't seen it.

I just had my consultation with Dr. Morganstern this morning as I'm interested in their Bellafill procedure. I've had 22ml of Ellanse L (3 year lifespan) injected with Dr. C in Tijuana over two trips about a year apart. My first round is coming up on exactly 3 years ago and I've noticed some nodules on the lower right of my shaft that weren't there before so I believe this to be related to the resorption of the Ellanse although my MEG measurements remain unchanged. Just to restate, I haven't lost size, I've just noticed a bit of lumpiness to the touch recently that I don't recall being there before. I've been searching the boards for months now to see if anyone else in my position (prior Ellanse approaching end of life) have had similar experiences but haven't found much so I thought I'd put my experience out there.

With that being said, I thought it time for a touchup with Dr. Carney at Morganstern but was concerned that I may not be able to given my prior Ellanse filler. Dr. Morganstern said it was no problem to inject Bellafill on top of the existing Ellanse insinuating that the existing collagen created from the Ellanse filler will be a beneficial base for the Bellafill. I also asked about having the allergy test done and he said he has never seen an allergic reaction in the 4 years they've been using Bellafill and didn't deem the allergy test necessary but, if I wanted it, they could overnight it to my primary care physician to administer.

I'm genuinely curious if anyone else has been in my position with Ellanse reaching end of life and experiencing some lumpiness and minor aesthetic irregularities in the process? I'm also curious if anyone with prior Ellanse has had PMMA injected afterwards. Finally, I'm curious as to the community's take on potentially skipping the allergy test for Bellafill. Even with Dr. Morganstern's belief that it's unnecessary, it still makes me somewhat uncomfortable to not have it done. For those who have had Bellafill done, did you guys do the allergy test or skip it? If you had it done, how far in advance was it administered?

I think I've asked enough questions haha, look forward to hearing your guys' feedback.

Request what makes you comfortable. If it is recommended by the manufacturer and it concerns you, ask for it. Some trade-offs might be an additional lab cost, and that you'll be required to stay in the Atlanta area for as long as it takes for allergen test to yield results (which is a notable one, probably as long as one or two nights).

According to Bellafill themselves:
a. Positive Response
A positive response consists of erythema of any degree,
induration, tenderness, and swelling, with or without
pruritus, which can appear immediately following
implantation and persists for more than 24 hours, or
appears more than 24 hours following implantation.

I believe the reason this test even exists is because there are known bovine (even beef dietary) allergies or sensitivities, albeit rare. In other words, I think you'd already know if you had this issue, which probably explains the Doctor's discretion here.