What are some symptoms & options if you are having a bad reaction to silicone injections? (photos)

Silicone
Injections and Hydrogell Injections.Samir
Shureih MD. FACS.Baltimore,
Maryland.Buttock enlargement is
becoming a very popular cosmetic surgery procedure. There are several well
established surgical procedures that can safely accomplish that. These include
the Brazilian Buttock lift, Dermis Fat graft, and Buttock Implants.Some people have taken
advantage of this trend and use illegal, unsafe injections of non medical grade
Silicone, silicone oil and gel, Hydrogell, polyacrylamide, Macrolane and many
other unusual substances.Silicone injection to the
buttocks and other areas in the body are common underground illegal procedures.
The silicone used is industrial grade silicone oil bought from hardware store
or silicone oil used as a lubricant. This type of silicone is not pure and
contains many other substances. It is not a Medical Grade Silicone, if medical
grade silicone was to be used for buttock enhancement; it will be very
expensive and still not medically approved. The body reacts to the foreign
material by forming chronic inflammatory reactions called SILICONE GRANULOMAS;
these granulomas can be felt as hard lumps, sometimes very painful. When
injected near vital structures like nerves. The granulomas entrap the nerve and
cause pain, burning sensations, swelling, migration, blockage of the lymphatic
channels and skin color changes. The foreign injected material can not be
removed completelt. Granulomas can be removed in most cases but one can not
remove the entire injected material. Surgical removal will leave a deformity
that will have to be repaired at a later stage.Silicone can MIGRATE beyond
the injection site, and can migrate to involve regional lymph nodes. This will
cause long term swelling. If the reaction is intense
and causing problems, then diluted steroid injection can decrease the
inflammatory process. However the steroid injections can carry a certain amount
of risks as well. The steroid injections can dissolve the normal fat. Treatment of silicone
granulomas is very difficult and complex. Silicone can spread in the
surrounding tissue, which makes it impossible to be totally removed. Silicone
oil can cause oil cysts with severe inflammatory reaction by the body.Removing the silicone
granulomas leaves scars and deformities. When attempts are made to
remove it from the buttocks, it is never a complete removal and will lead to
major DEFORMITIES. If the granulomas are near or engulfing a major nerve or
blood vessel it can be very hazardous and complex surgery with potential for major
risks.The UNDERGROUND silicone
injectors have graduated to injecting HYDROGEL.It is as hazardous as Silicone injections and
gives a similar granuloma reaction. All these materials when injected
(PUMPING PARTIES) lead to disastrous long term complications. Most of the
time the injections are above the muscle and are under the skin or within the
fat. It is rare to be injected deep into the muscle. In the face it is much common
for the silicone to be in the muscles of the face because of the closeness of
the muscles to the skin. The major nerves are also very close and the silicone
can wrap around the nerves. This makes the surgical removal very risky to
impossible.Liposuction can remove some
of the oil cysts but will not remove the granulomas. Silicone granulomas have
to be removed surgically. Even laser liposuction, ultrasound liposuction will
not remove silicone granulomas.It is very difficult to know
what material was injected before any attempt to remove it.Plastic surgeons are familiar
with the reaction to silicone injections and the difficulty in removing it and
the subsequent major deformity left behind. That is why patients and surgeons
are reluctant to take on these cases. When silicone is injected close to the
skin, the skin will look like an orange peel appearance and attempts to remove
it will jeopardize the skin vascular supply and can cause the skin to die.
Removing large deep lumps ( Hard granulomas) will cause depressions and
deformities that is very difficult to repair and may require long surgeries.
These deformities are very difficult to repair and may require multiple
surgeries. That is why these surgeries are very expensive. Not because of
greedy plastic surgeons. When the lymph nodes are
invaded by silicone the lymph nodes are blocked and cause chronic edema. One
cannot remove lymph nodes. Chronic reaction to the injected silicone can cause
hyper pigmentation changes in the skin that is irreversible, and impossible to
treat.

DO NOT GET SILICONE INJECTIONSThis is a huge problem  Liquid silicone should never be injected for increasing volume.  Tiny microdroplet injections have received some good press, but injections to add significant volume usually end in disaster.The liquid silicone incites inflammatory reactions that do not settle down since the body cannot digest silicone particles.  Lymphatic vessels get clogged.  The state of irritation, inflammation, and swelling is progressive and can lead to devastating infections, often with the need for huge surgery that leaves the unfortunate patient terribly scarred.  Get to a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon immediately, one who has had experience with this problem.DO NOT GET SILICONE INJECTIONS