Can the silicone travel to my thigh after silicone butt injections 17 years ago? (Photos)

Question

I’m experiencing a burning sensation down my thigh more in my lower thigh where it is swollen. Very dry skin, and knee pain. Is it possible the silicone may have leaked to that area?

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello, thank you for your questions regarding the migration of silicone into your thighs after buttock silicone injection. The short answer is “yes,  silicon can migrate from your butt to your thighs.” I specialize in silicone removal. I’ve seen many cases were silicone from the butt migrates from the butt into the thighs and legs.  This can be shown on ultrasounds and MRIs.   Basically, people should not have silicone injected anywhere in the body. However, if you do have silicone  injected,  I would suggest it be removed before the silicone starts causing problems. Silicone injection problems include localized pain, skin irritation, permanent skin changes resulting in redness, creation of significant scar tissue, the conversion of scar tissue into granulomas, and sometimes the conversion of granulomas into certain cancers. Bottom line:  do not do silicone injections. If you have silicone in your body and it’s causing problems,  have the  silicone removed. Typically, silicone can be removed in two ways.  First, the silicone can be removed with  ultrasonic guided VASER liposuction,  Second, the silicone can be removed with direct surgical excision. This is not an easy surgery; please seek an expert. Travel out-of-state if you must. If you have any more questions regarding silicone injections and the removal of silicone from the butt or thighs, please contact my office. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery.)

Jeremy S. Nikfarjam, MD · Answer

Hi Maddlady,I'm sorry to hear of your symptoms. One thing I have seen to be true is that silicone does travel throughout the body. We don't know exactly why and how (there is no actual medical research to refer to on this condition) but I can say that I see this in my practice very frequently. If you were consulting in my office, I'd order an MRI of the pelvis and the lower extremities to determine the nature of the foreign body and possibly see if it has spread.I wish you all the best in your search for treatment!-Dr. Nik

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Silicone in the buttocks and soft tissue can cause inflammatory 
reactions. Our office specializes in the management of Karamanoukian 
Grade I-IV reaction in the soft tissue using minimally-invasive means. 
The first step is to identify the grade of soft tissue reaction and 
determine whether the tissue can withstand surgery. 
Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Although this is unlikely, some of the liquids injected can migrate to other areas of the body.  Kenneth Hughes, MD

Jaime Pachon, MD · Answer

Many conditions predispose biopolymer migration and activation. 1) the most common cause is migration on the first day of administration and you never noticed until they start to activate. 2) high-impact sports. 3) saunas, Turkish bath or jacuzzis 4) higher temperatures and sun exposition. and many other situations related to this difficult condition know as biopolymers.

Can the silicone travel to my thigh after silicone butt injections 17 years ago? (Photos)

Answers (5)

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