At the end of 2021, our suppliers announced that Ellansé-L would be discontinued and reassured that the shorter-lasting versions (S, one year and M, two years) would remain in the market.
The obvious response/request was to know the reason why.
Their decision came from the fact that we have known since we followed our first patient's evolution: Ellanse (any of the variants) is way longer lasting than the initial research showed.
Additionally, those observations came from patients who received the product for facial rejuvenation. The expected longevity of Ellanse is even longer for penile implants since the penis has a less active metabolism and dynamics; also, its exposure to the elements is minimal compared with the face.
The face has significant structural changes over the years, and most injectors do not support the idea of having very long-lasting or permanent fillers there. The penile structures remain pretty much stable.
The most enduring versions of Ellanse (L, and especially E) became less and less popular, to the point that they didn't make financial sense to both the manufacturer and the end-user.
The longevity of Ellanse depends on the length and cross-linking of the polycaprolactone chain in its different versions, which determines the speed of biodegradation and biosorption. Safety is identical in any of them; the byproducts of degradation are water and CO2.
At Avanti Derma™, after many years of using Ellanse L, the only reported problems have been strictly cosmetic (imperfections); we have no reports of local or systemic complications or damage, which coincides with the findings of some investigators (
doi.org/10.1111/jocd.13518
,
journals.lww.com/dermatologicsurgery/Abs...y_of_Forehead.4.aspx
)
Ellanse-E was never available in Mexico, but as the largest consumer of Ellansé-L in our country, the company gave us notice of the withdrawal of version L by the end of last year, so that we had the opportunity to stock-up.
We will continue to offer the versions of Ellansé-S and M.
Ellanse-L will be provided while supplies last.
DrC / DrM