TOPIC: PMMA in large amounts.... cost?

By the sounds of it, they use PMMA during Phalloplasty. I think it would be obvious cause anything else would migrate. But it still would be interesting if any clinics are buying PMMA powder and mixing their own.

I have to warn many females on forums from getting injected with cheap stuff in hotels e.t.c by people claiming to be a nurse. Even worse now they are selling home kits on the internet. I wonder how many people have died from diy?

Say they did use cheap PMMA powder with different size micro spheres, how dangerous would it be? Would the risky only be after the injection, or years after?

carljohnson wrote: I sure hope they don't get a bad impression just for asking and think I'm the one making an accusation.

I can't speak for them but I highly doubt they will have a bad impression of you. Due to the stigma associated with Tijuana, I think they are probably used to these inquiries by now.

As promised here is the response from Dr. C's office. First my wording of the question:

"Good Evening, I've been reading online in order to be as informed as possible before my procedure. Recently I read an accusation regarding the authenticity of the PMMA. It is Metacril brand, correct? Someone suggested asking to watch the opening of the sealed packaging before the procedure to verify. Would that be a problem? I don't mean to come across as untrusting. I'm sure the accuser is full of nonsense, but I didn't think it would hurt to ask. Others on the forum were curious too so since I have an appointment soon I volunteered to ask and I'll report back with the response (if that's okay) so you aren't asked the same question repeatedly."

---

Their response:
"We have always made our products available to our patients. When we receive Metacril PMMA in a vial, it is very time consuming to transfer product from vial to syringes during your treatment. This is the reason for the pre-filled syringes. When we receive pre-filled syringes of Metacril we can always open them in front of the patient. See you soon!"

---

There you have it. My apologies to Bigben for referring to him as being 'full of nonsense' in the email...for some reason when typing it up for them I felt the need to downplay the accusation since I didn't want it to see as if I was the one making it. I meant no offense to you sir.


I'll be taking pics and posting my info this weekend looking for feedback, suggestions, etc as I get close to the Feb 13th appointment. If you see my post this weekend please give me some feedback. I'm really torn between wanting this so f'n badly but still knowing the risks associated with it.

I know in the past a lot of people had major problems with Dr Casavantes work. It seems that has changed but still a few complaints about lumps from PMMA but I guess even he can't control that.
I am at the moment waiting to see other peoples results. As I will be using Dr. N in prague, am still yet to see people results with 30 % PMMA cause people complaining it hard....

I think Dr. C email shows transparency and good business practices, something that SO has touched on. No PE Dr has the same courage to do what Dr C's office and staff have done so far.

This is a great response from the Dr and it will go a long way to assure past and future patients of his legitimacy..

I also feel a lot better to have read his response, it cemented my gut feeling about his operation. I always feel very comfortable when I go and see him and his staff.

Xander, the problem with the permanent injectables is you never really know what you are getting. Even Elvis's ex-wife ended up with complications when her Dr in Los Angeles injected her with silicone after claiming it was a special product better than botox from Argentina:

A quick google search of Dr Lemperle shows he was criminally investigated for damaging a lady's face after practicing medicine without a license in california:

www.utsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060513/news_1b13artes.html

And prior to pmma Dr Casavantes was injecting a product called Bio-Alcamid that is now banned due to long term complications:

So we know in the past some have been happy with their results, while others have not been so fortunate. Only time will tell what the future holds, but the stakes are very high. I would highly discourage guys from exposing themselves to this risk.

I'm not sure Dr. C even needed to respond to the speculation of counterfeit PMMA, as it's the silliest kind of silly some of the things that were suggested. I mean, how often do ladies who get their lips injected with Botox sit staring while the doctor fills the syringe, reading the serial number and calling the manufacturer to confirm the batch? Unlike, say, a Dr. Loria filler whose composition was unknown, Dr. C has stated clearly the products he uses (and shows the packaging upon request). Since the quality of PMMA goes a long way in reducing complication, why in the hell would the renowned Dr. C risk his very practice when the actual brands are available legally? Why his association with the Bioplasty Congress discussing the efficacy of brands like Metacril and Linnea Safe if all he does is inject us with Chinese Plexibeads?

Skepticism is healthy. Implicit comments and wild speculation is not.

Maybe the Tijuana-stigma factors into the equation somehow, but if you can't have any faith in the title of MD, you shouldn't be asking the doctor to the fill the syringe - you should be avoiding Phalloplasty altogether.

Furthermore, cosmetic enhancement is inherently experimental & evolving, even with the current standard methods that exist today. Dr. C's use of Bio-Alcamid in the past demonstrates this.

Phalloplasty has a history of incompetent doctors, shoddy methods, and horror stories, but that isn't to say every doctor & practice is evil. I'm no endorser of Dr. C or his practice, but I will admit, even as the Admin of this forum, that I have great respect for his practice. As he states quite clearly, Phalloplasty came to him. He didn't mass market, shill forums, or promise unrealistic gains. He's given many men a renewed sense of adequacy, and for some, a renewed sense of confidence. Those with complications can attest to Dr. C & Company's willingness to follow-up, and their sincerity in trying to resolve lingering issues. Why say all this? Because his practice, outside of the massive short-term success of penile bioplasty, acts in sharp contrast to most other phallo-operations.

Is it a perfect practice with the perfect solution? No. But let's be real here. Let's be damn honest and straight to the point. What Phalloplasty method available for Girth enhancement has more consistent results and a better complication rate than penile bioplasty? This forum is an unsolicited testament to the efficacy of this method, especially as it relates to FFT, PLGA Scaffolds, DFG, Silicone Implant, and Alloderm/Belladerm. Who would contest this? Does it have its share of complications? Sure, but so do the common nose & boob jobs. Are the complication rates acceptable? That's hard to say, not enough lurkers report to the forums to get a clear picture on complication rates, especially those that are major complications. But from what anecdotal & empirical evidence we have, it appears to be much better than the alternatives.

I have an appointment with Dr. C for round one in Feb. so I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask about watching them open the packaging, etc.

I'll update with their response when I receive it.

I sure hope they don't get a bad impression just for asking and think I'm the one making an accusation.

I applaud you for taking being pro-active and taking this step. Really an honest doctor should have a patient bill of rights that includes opening the Metacril packaging in front of EVERY patient and recording the serial / lot number info. I believe this is how it is done by the doctor in Prague and it would eliminate the problem altogether.

Also, it does not take long to fill a syringe. He likely has an assistant fill them. It takes them no longer to pre-fill them in front of you then it does in private..

And more confusing/troublesome, they can open the packaging in front of you when Metacril is shipped from the manufacturer in a syringe. However they receive it in a vial. So basically this gives them an easy excuse to claim they do not have the pre-filled syringes, therefore they will not comply with your request.

I think they likely have a few Metacril vials in the office. I would insist they fill the syringes in front of you. Or push back on his evasive reply before you travel there. It will take 30sec/syringe so do not feel like your are being too intrusive. There is no legal system to speak of in Mexico, if the patients don' t keep the doctor honest nobody else will.

This is a very concerning question about why Dr. C never showed many of his patients, including me, the name brand of his PMMA. That DOES NOT automatically means he is using no name brands, it just brings the question to mind. I think a very few of his patients were presented with the official PMMA seals, but very few. It would be interesting to see if some one can get an official answer from his office. I know that on all my rounds, his office told me they were using brand name authentic PMMA...

I hope this silliness isn't perpetrated by some former Italian mobster who's now a used car salesmen or a disgruntled ex-member ...

It's a thread going downhill and nowhere fast. End of discussion.

So he might use Asian PMMA and then mix it himself. What are the risks of this, I am guess if you made it through the first few months of this, you will be fine, if it's pure PMMA.

I know in the HIV community, even American doctors recommend him, calling him an expert in this field. I am finding that for the best answers to PMMA long term use, it best to go on one of these hiv forums as they have been using it since the start in 2002, and can give a better indication of long term effects. So far I have read of none, and they praise it.

My concern is the doctors who don't even at least use their own ready made PMMA and are using hydrogel or even silicone, cause this migrates, which means complications. Been reading about women who claim to have been injected with large amounts (800cc) of supposed PMMA costing only like $2000, by doctors in places like Peru, Colombia e.t.c

I have emailed three well known doctors including Dr. Serra and so far have no response to the brand they use in buttock bioplasty. In the email I raised the same concerns about the cost of metacrill.

The Bio-Alcamid turned out to be a total disaster, probably worse then silicone. I am sure the PMMA, regardless of the source, will not be as bad.

My point is these guys are willing to experiment on other people in order to serve their own interests $$.

Dr Loria, is another one I think will likely end up with a subset of terrible outcomes as he periodically "improves" his injection recipe, just like Dr Elist keeps coming out with a better FDA approved implant, haha.

I wish Phalloplasty were a respected field of medicine. With more attention from brilliant medicine minds there might be greater advances in this field. Just wanted to address Bigben's closing comment.

It could be the nature of the procedure, buttocks I would imagine is not as delicate as the complex penis structure. But this is merely a guess at this point.


The question is a good one though that needs a real answer.