Agarose Gel as an Injectable Filler Significantly Reduced the Risk of Rabbit Retinal Artery Embolism Compared to...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials science
• Vascular surgery
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Vascular embolism is a known complication of injectable fillers.
• Novel fillers like agarose gel may offer reduced embolism risk.
• Limited comparative data exists on embolism rates for different fillers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the in vivo risk of rabbit retinal artery embolism between hyaluronic acid and agarose gel.
• To evaluate the in vitro dissolution characteristics of hyaluronic acid and agarose gel.

Main Methods:

• A rabbit model was used to induce retinal artery embolism.
• Agarose gel and hyaluronic acid were injected into the carotid artery at varying doses.
• Dissolution rates were measured in saline and hyaluronidase.

Main Results:

• Agarose gel showed no embolism, while hyaluronic acid had a high embolism rate (up to 83.3%).
• Embolism risk increased with higher hyaluronic acid doses.
• Agarose gel dissolved significantly faster than hyaluronic acid in hyaluronidase.

Conclusions:

• Agarose gel is a safe injectable filler with a low risk of vascular embolism.
• Agarose gel exhibits favorable dissolution properties in vitro.
• Findings support agarose gel's potential as a safer alternative filler.