Amazing Gel woes may be 'enormous'

Health officials say more than 500,000 people may have been injected with Amazing Gel, a breast implant material China banned in April, a report said.

The number of women and men, on whom the product was used for penile enlargement, adversely affected by the now-banned product moving around their body may never be known, health officials told the Times of London.

Amazing Gel, also known as Ao Mei Ding, is polyacrylamide hydrogel and was introduced in China by Cao Mengjun, who has said he will appeal the government ban.

Beijing Union Hospital plastic surgeon Dr. Qiao Qun said she performs 12 operations a week to remove Amazing Gel implants -- many of which also require breast removal.

She also criticized China's system that allowed quick -- and some have claimed illegal -- approval of the product. She also objected to beauticians lacking medical training selling and injecting the product.

"In no other country in the world is there a problem like this on such a scale," Qiao told the Times. "The numbers of people who may have medical problems are simply enormous."

Copyright 2006 by United Press International