Polyacrylamide Gel - Paag

P.A.A.G

Polyacrylamide Gel, or PAAG, has recently caused quite a stir in Asian countries. PAAG is a hydrated polyacrylamide of stiff consistency used as a medium for electrophoresis. Its uses are not only as a medium for electrophoresis, but it can be used for breast enlargement. However there is little evidence about the safety of PAAG for such a purpose. Fifty-three cases have been reported in Hong Kong were women have received complications after the injection. The complications included induration, infection, abscess and haematoma. Ninety percent of all women received the injection in Mainland china; the rest in Hong Kong and Thailand. So far six women have needed to have surgical removal of their breast.

The structural formula of PAAG is CH2-CH(CONH2). PAAG is a combination of a synthetic polymer and water. This combination is non-biodegradable and can not be absorbed into the body. The polymer of PAAG is Polyacrylamide and the monomer is Acrylmaide. Polyacrylmaide is a white polyamide, (-CH2CHCONH2-). Acrylmaide is a white crystalline amide of propenoic acid.

There are many more harms of PAAG when used for breast augmentation. PAAG can prevent detection of the early stages of breast cancer through X-rays. Mothers are also deprived of the ability to breastfeed their babies because of the risk of the chemical seeping into the breast milk. Most of the injections are done in beauty parlors; where the people have no medical training at all. There are a lot of things we still do not understand about PAAG its harms and its safety in breast augmentations.