Women who wish to enlarge their breasts are being warned against injections of a gel known as PAAG, which is easier and cheaper than implant surgery, but can cause serious complications, pain, and make it difficult to detect breast cancer.

The State Food and Drug Administration on April 30 issued a public notice banning production, sale and use of hydrophilic polyacrylamide gel, or PAAG, for breast augmentation.

City hospital officials said they don't use the gel because of high risks.

But some small clinics, private plastic surgery hospitals and facilities in other provinces offer it.

China's only licensed manufacturer of the gel has lost its production permit and been ordered to recall all sold products and destroy stock.

Serious cases

The technology was introduced to China in 1997. Experts said 9 percent to 15 percent of PAAG injections can cause complications. There are 20,000 complaints on plastic surgery every year, and 75 percent is related to PAAG injections.

The State Drug Adverse Reaction Monitoring Center received 161 serious cases of PAAG injections between 2002 and 2005. Experts estimated that 300,000 women have had the injections.

Doctors at Shanghai No. 9 People's Hospital said they must remove the gel from dozens of patients every year, as it scatters and enters breast tissues and other body parts.

(Shanghai Daily May 12, 2006)