Butt injection hoax leads to organ failure

Two Tampa, Florida women are reported to be in critical condition after receiving buttock augmentation injections from a person posing as a doctor. 

Both women thought they were getting "hydrogel," a generic term that refers to a class of substances most often used to treat open wounds, but instead are likely recipients of industrial grade silicone. 

Industrial silicone injections: too common

The Illegal use of non-medical grade silicone for facial wrinkle treatment and bust line enhancement is so common, an Orlando-based plastic surgeon sees one patient a month suffering the consequences.  Dr. Armando Soto has learned that most of these silicone-injected patients undergo the silicone injections abroad, but some receive the illegal injections in the US. The common rationale given by his patients is that they wanted to look younger while saving money relative to the costs of having a well-trained physician administer an approved filler.

Large quantities of silicone injections can be life threatening. "In most of the cases I have seen, the silicone was encapsulated by the body's defense mechanisms, forming a firm lump under the skin," explains Dr. Soto. "These women in Tampa obviously got a lot more, and the silicone was taken up by the body, causing organ failure."

Removing silicone injections may be impossible

Patients who have had silicone injections often suffer from chronic inflammation.  "This inflammation results in chronic swelling and edema in the areas that received the silicone injection and adjacent areas where the silicone injections traveled," explains Dr. Brent Moelleken, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon. The consensus among the medical experts participating on RealSelf.com is that are no established procedures for reversing silicone injection cases since silicone is a gelatinous substance that cannot be easily separated from the body once it is injected.

Hydrogel marketing used to hook unsuspecting person

Buttock injections are often marketed as "hydrogel" in an attempt to make the product sound medical and bona fide to the person seeking augmentation.  Hydrogel promoters litter the web, looking for new customers.  For instance, a forum operated by "topix"  is replete with tips on where to get low cost butt augmentation injections and hydrogel.  A post by "Tiffany" is typical of rogue sellers that use luring tactics such as low prices to catch new customers:

I did a little reserch and I found that there is a doctor in Miami that is currently doing Non Surgical Butt Injections. I am not sure of his name or what procduct he is using to enlarge the buttock are, but I will definitely keep everyone posted once I find out. The procedure is $500.00 a cheek and gives permanent results from what I am told.

Routine spamming for illegal hydrogel injections and apparent demand for such injections suggest that life-threatening cases will continue to make the news.

Resources for getting informed about injectable safety

For more consumer information about injectables and safety, see the Injectable Safety Campaign or ask medical experts a cosmetic injectable-related question.

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