Could 15 yr old illegal butt injections cause blood clots? Is it safe to massage the area where lumpy?

Question

I received illegal butt injections about 15 yrs ago & still suffer from intense pain if touched a certain way. My main concern is yrs after 1st getting all of a sudden I started suffering from multiple, repeated PEs. Even on high dose blood thinners I still throw clots. They can not find a cause. Could this be from the substance injected? I'd like to try & massage the lumps but it is extremely painful. Is it safe to massage if I can take the pain? I don't want to exacerbate the clots.

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, thank you for your question whether illegal butt injections can cause blood clots and whether it is safe to massage lumpy injected areas.  Yes, your illegal buttock injections could the cause of your blood clots and PEs.  I would suggest you consult with your hematologist for a full work-up to include factor 5 leiden deficiency, etc.  I have had several patients who were referred to me by their hematologist for removal buttock silicone.  After surgery, these patients were able to safely discontinue their blood thinners.  In regards to massage silicone lumps and scar tissue, I would NOT suggest massages.  I believe in your case, this would only aggravate matters. I believe you have ASIA syndrome.  ASIA syndrome is an acronym that stands for Autoimmune/inflammatory Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants. Adjuvants are agents (like silicone) that modify the effect of other agents (like causing scar tissue and pain).  Typically, ASIA syndrome presents about 10 years after the injection. Since ASIA syndrome was first described as recognizable medical disease in 2011, most medical doctors do not know ASIA syndrome even exists.  I specialize in treating patients with ASIA syndrome and in the removal of silicone from the buttock and subsequent reconstruction of the buttock. Whether or nor your blood clots are caused by your buttock silicone injections, I would strongly suggest you have your buttock silicone removed.   I am a lead investigator and founder of the Silicone Removal Institute. Since removing silicone from the buttock is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon with significant experience in removing silicone from the buttock.  Do your research.  Make sure your chosen plastic surgeon has performed many buttock silicone removal surgeries and has the before and after pictures to prove it.  Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf.   If you cannot find an experienced, buttock silicone removal surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and ​member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

Jeremy S. Nikfarjam, MD · Answer

Hi Jennyjv,
I'm sorry to hear of your health concerns. Silicone illness have not been well studied or documented, as you may know. So it's hard to know with any certainty that your PEs are caused by your silicone. What I have seen in my own practice is that this substance can travel through the body's systems leading to a cornucopia of issues including pulmonary embolisms. It sounds like you're already in the hands of a specialist. If you were consulting in my office, I'd make sure you're in the care of a hematologist. I'd also recommend an MRI of the buttocks to determine what and exactly where this foreign body substance may be. Please consider surgical removal of the silicone in the hands of a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in this condition. I'd be happy to meet with you virtually if you want to reach out to my team here. 
I wish you all the best in your search for treatment.
- Dr. Nik

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Silicone biopolymers are commonly used in the face and body. They may sometimes cause noticeable symptoms that we gauge using the Karamanoukian Soft Tissue Reaction Grading Scale from I to V. The severity of your complications dictates the interventions needed, ranging from itching and burning to severe necrosis of the soft tissue. Nerve pain and symptomatic swelling is also possible. Insurance may cover your surgery, but that is a discussion that requires you to contact and appeal to your insurance carrier. Options for removal are complex and depend on whether you have the material in your face or body. We reverse BBL with silicone commonly and remove silicone from the lips very commonly. Diffuse silicone in the face is not likely to respond to removal. Filler migration, swelling, and granulomas can cause significant discomfort and cosmetic ramifications. Our office specializes in the use of enzymes and filler reversal techniques without hyaluronidase to help improve the results of botched cosmetic fillers, whether caused by Juvederm, Restylane, or foreign fillers. We can also test for the material to determine the likelihood of silicone granulomas and silicone reaction.

Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Chris Funderburk, MD · Answer

Yes! We have seen this in practice in NYC. Free silicone injections have MANY serious, and sometimes fatal, side-effects. I strongly, strongly recommend against ever getting them.We have seen patients with a huge constellation of problems including heart disease and thromboses in the lower extremity which can lead to PEs (pulmonary embolism). I strongly recommend that you seek out a fully-trained plastic surgeon. Do not cut corners with this. This needs to be treated appropriately. Massage isn’t going to help.

Could 15 yr old illegal butt injections cause blood clots? Is it safe to massage the area where lumpy?

Answers (4)

Answer: Prothrombotic state

Answer: Prothrombotic state

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Silicone Injection Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Could 15 yr old illegal butt injections cause blood clots? Is it safe to massage the area where lumpy?

Answers (4)

Answer: Prothrombotic state

Answer: Prothrombotic state

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Silicone Injection Removal

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.