I never did a research on silicone butt injections or even trying to find out. Should I be concerned in the future?

Question

I have butt injection for 11 years. I did it because I was seeking to have them big. I never did a research or even trying to find out. Should I be concerned in the future?

William Bruno, MD · Answer

The preferred material for augmenting the buttock area is the patient's own fat.  This is known as a fat transfer, where the fat is harvested from the abdomen, back or thigh area, then treate/strained, then re-injected into the desired area (buttocks).  The fat is safe, from the patient, and does not have the concerns that silicone injections can have(excess scarring, infection).  Another option is a solid silicone buttock implant, however, these can shift, migrate, become infected, or develop hard scar tissue surrounding them. 
Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon who is experienced in buttock augmentation prior to scheduling this procedure.
Best wishes,
Dr. Bruno

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi Lola-7, thank you for your question regarding should you be concerned regarding silicone buttock injections. The simple answer is "yes, you should be concerned regarding silicone butt injections!" Unfortunately, I see many patients every day in my office with silicone butts.   If you have not had silicone injected into your buttock, STOP and DO NOT have it injected.  Check before you inject!.  However, if you have silicone already injected into the buttock, I would suggest you remove it as soon as possible before the silicone in your buttocks starts to cause you problems. Silicone is a foreign body. Your body recognize silicone and a foreign body and creates scar tissue. The scar tissue can lead to localized pain and hardness. This scar tissue can also lead to referred pain by pinching on neighboring nerves. If the silicone is injected into the buttock, the silicone and associated scar tissue may give referred pain into the thighs, calfs, and even feet.  Also, the silicone can migrate throughout your body. Overtime the scar tissue can turn into granulomas. In the medical literature, there have been reports of these granulomas then turning into cancer.  I would highly suggest you have silicone removed from your buttocks BEFORE they cause significant problems.  It is only a matter of time.  I hope that I have answered your questions removing silicone from the buttock. Before you make any decisions regarding silicone removal from the buttock, I would suggest you seek consultation with an expert. Please seek an experienced, board-certified, plastic surgeon.  Travel out of state if you must to find such a silicone removal  expert. If you have any more questions regarding silicone removal from the buttock, intra-operative ultra-sound guided VASER assisted liposuction or plastic surgery in general, please contact my office.  Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and member of the American Society Plastic Surgeons, International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, and Fellow of American College of Surgeons and American Board for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Awardee: RealSelf 100.)

Jeremy S. Nikfarjam, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing that. Tt takes courage to reflect honestly on past decisions. Since it's been 11 years since your butt injections, it's definitely worth having a deeper look at your situation, especially if you’re unsure of what material was injected. If you're unsure of what was injected, that’s the first major concern. There are a few common types of substances people have had injected: Medical-grade fillers (for example: Sculptra) generally safe when done properly. Silicone/Biopolymer (liquid form) — Not FDA-approved for body contouring injections and can lead to serious complications over time. Often done illegally. These materials can migrate, cause chronic inflammation, infections, and other serious issues. If you're experiencing any symptoms such as pain, firmness, lumps, skin changes or discoloration, infections (recurrent), or any shifts or migration of the material in the buttocks to any nearby areas, this is definitely cause for concern. However, even if you’re feeling fine now, complications from silicone/biopolymer injections can sometimes surface years later. The first step would be to consult a specialist such as a board-certified plastic surgeon (especially one experienced in silicone/biopolymer removal) who can assess the situation and advise you on monitoring or removal options. Second step would be to go for imaging. An MRI with silicone protocol can help determine if any foreign material is present and whether it's causing tissue damage or migration. Don’t Wait for symptoms.  Many people wait until things become painful or dangerous. Early evaluation gives you more options and better outcomes. These substances don’t naturally dissolve. Your body can mount an immune reaction to them years later. Complications like skin breakdown, hardening, nerve pain, or even systemic illness (autoimmune-like symptoms) can appear after 10+ years. Yes, it’s wise to be concerned and proactive. Just because you haven’t had problems yet doesn’t mean they won’t happen. Getting evaluated by a knowledgeable surgeon and having imaging done is the best next step.

I have seen thousands of patients who have been victimized by illegal silicone injections. The symptoms I see range from mild to moderate to severe- requiring emergent hospital admissions. What you report is a familiar story that we here in the office- pain in the buttocks, back, and legs. Sometimes this pain is accompanied by intermittent tingling in the extremities. However, treatment is possible! After training in hospitals in The Bronx in the early '00s, I saw countless patients present to the emergency room with symptoms related to silicone disease but were not given any substantial treatment. They were given antibiotics and pain medications and sent home. It was then that I decided to pioneer the silicone removal center in New York. You can read more through the link below. Ultimately, I perform a two-stage open removal procedure (through a small incision inside the buttocks crease) with a third stage reconstructive BBL. All three stages are pre-authorized through a patient's health insurance. I only perform these procedures in a hospital setting with a dedicated team that I have handpicked to assist in these unique procedures. I believe this is a medical problem that needs real, medical treatment (in the U.S., in a hospital, with a board-certified plastic surgeon). Of course, the aesthetic component is very important, and as a plastic surgeon, I do everything I can to make sure my patients look great afterwards as well. Please feel free to contact my team to inquire about your particular insurance policy (516) 279-2616.

Emmanuel De La Cruz, MD · Answer

Unfortunately there's not a lot of procedures in the removal of silicone buttock injections.  Silicone granulomas resulting from previous silicone injections may cause chronic infections, chronic pain and discoloration of the skin.  This is a difficult problem to have due to the potential complications that may result from previous injections.  If you're symptomatic then I would recommend having them removed.  You'll likely need an MRI of your buttock to delineate the location and extent of the silicone granulomas of the buttock.  The MRI would serve as a map so that your plastic surgeon would know where to remove them.  Silicone injections from the buttock may be removed either by direct excision versus VASER liposuction.  I would recommend VASER liposuction for removal of the silicone granulomas followed by fat transfer (Salgado, et al.  Liposuction and lipofilling for treatment of symptomatic silicone toxicosis of the gluteal region. Aesthet Surg J. 2014 May 1;34(4):571-7.)  This procedure is a similar procedure when I remove biopolymer/hydrogel from the buttocks.  Good luck and may God bless you.
Emmanuel De La Cruz MD, PLLC
Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon

Jaime Perez, MD · Answer

YES! Fat injections with liquid silicone is usually done in other countries and not done by board certified plastic surgeons in the US. These injections are not approved by the FDA and it is known that this may cause infection, excess of scarring and deformity in the buttocks.

Farbod Esmailian, MD · Answer

As stated above, there is not much you can do at this point, and usually not much can really be done if issues arise.  We can certainly try to remove the silicone, but that is a very non rewarding task and usually there are a lot left behind.
So hold tight and just relax as you cant do anything about it, you be the lucky ones and be ok with it.
Good luck.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Many variations of a butt lift have been documented in the literature, including implants, direct silicone injections, sculptra, temporary collagen fillers, and fat augmentation. Most permanent fillers and implants have higher risks of complications including nodularity, bumps, lumps, infection, and extrusion.
 Management of silicone injections is difficult but should be expectant. At this time, you should focus on conservative management with observation unless discrete nodularity, infection, or extrusion occurs. I have found these silicone injections to be difficult, but possible to debulk.

Karan Chopra, MD · Answer

Hi @Lola-7: 
Thank you for the question. If you're doing fine after the silicone injection then I would not be worried. With any foreign implant, whether it be a knee replacement, breast implant or free silicone injection, since it is not your own tissue it can be susceptible to infection down the line at some point. It may happen or it may never ever happen. 
If this does occur, there are antibiotics and surgical techniques available to plastic surgeons to help you overcome this problem. You should consult with an expert in your area with experience in silicone removal and reconstruction. 
Best of luck,
Dr. Karan Chopra
★★★★★
Minneapolis Plastic Surgeon
Face ⨀ Breast ⨀ Body Expert
Johns Hopkins Trained
Cosmetic Fellowship Trained

Neil Tanna, MD, FACS · Answer

While it initially adds volume, over time free liquid silicone injections creates an inflammatory reaction and can cause tissue hardening, skin ulceration, pain, and granulomas – little pockets of inflammation – which will then distort the tissue. Buttock or breast enlargement can be done with silicone implants, from your own fat, or with illegal foreign substances, such as free silicone. It is the injection of foreign substances that is the most worrisome, causing irreversible damage. The bottom line - If you are interested in adding volume, make sure you consult with an appropriately licensed practitioner who offers FDA-approved products. This may save you from irreversible damage.

Carlos Alberto Ríos García, MD · Answer

Regards, 
Liquid silicone is unsafe, please do not use it ever. The autoimmune response could be triggered by this substance, if you look around on the Internet, you will find patients that have a lot of problems with this product. The use for lips and other areas is off label. 
About your question, injections of this type of substances may present local or systemic complications (throughout the body) up to 60 years after application. My personal orientation: avoid impacts, healthy nutrition, be alert to the appearance of A.S.I.A Syndrome. My particular point of view is to perform surgery before symptoms appear, as soon as possible.

Please remember to be aware, do not let any permanenrt filler to be injected into your face, breast, buttocks, calfs, genitalia, etc. The safest way to increase buttocks is through your own fat injections or through silicone implants.
I hope the information was usefull, have a nice day! Dr Carlos Rios.

I never did a research on silicone butt injections or even trying to find out. Should I be concerned in the future?

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