Cortisone Enough to Help with Silicone Injections Swelling?

Question

Hello, I am from Germany and I had Silicone injections (Microdroplet) done by a plastic surgeon about 3 1/2 month ago. I had no problems with the silicone in my lips (done over two years ago). The results are nice but one side of my face is still a little bit swollen. My doctor recommended Prednison (cortisone) 15 mg for about 3-4 weeks because he thinks that there is still a little inflammation present. Might this course of cortisone be enough to get rid of the prolonged swelling? Thanks.

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Silicone reactions can be treated effectively with low dose cortisone used very selectively as to not cause further complications. I offer my patients with silicone injections a combination treatment of injections and silicone removal. There is hope, however, silicone can cause complications and that is why I do not inject them as permanent fillers.

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 inical medical use was only for retine problems.  
Cortisone is a potent anti-inflammatory, it should be used strictly under medical supervision. The Biopolymers cause a severe inflammatory reaction that can cause permanent damage to the tissues, known as Iatrogenic Allogenosis and an Autoimmune Syndrome (A.S.I.A. Syndrome). The risk of having autoimmune diseases and deformities in your lips due to tissue damage is very high, then the use of any substance that is permanent is not advised. For your health it is necessary to remove the susbtance. On the other hand, if you want to increase your lips, you have to use safe substances that are resorbable like hyaluronic acid; there are brands like Juvederm and Restylane that are qualified, within the Juvederm family, it exists Juvederm Voluma, that has a durability of 2 years approximately. 
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 Alberto Ríos.

Raj S. Ambay, MD · Answer

Silicone injections in various parts of the body has been done quite frequently all over the country. The difficulty with silicone injections begins with the quality of the silicone itself. I have seen many cases where industrial grade silicone has been injected inside the human body. This can be a tremendous disaster. Problems can include infections, granulomas, cellulitis, and persistent skin infections, disfigurement and skin dimpling. It is very easy to have silicone injected, but very difficult to have it removed. The removal can frequently be very complex and involved lengthy surgery. Multiple operation is not uncommon. It is not uncommon to expect scars in locations that would otherwise be undesirable. If you do have silicone, or are having problem with silicone that was injected by a non-healthcare provider then you should certainly seek medical attention. Some solutions include IV antibiotics, oral antibiotics and surgery after the inflammation has subsided. Removing the silicone is not just a cosmetic issue but also an issue of better health. Depending on the type of silicone injected concerns with autoimmune diseases and infections are foremost. Taking medications such as ibuprofen or cortisone is only a temporary measure. The real solution is surgery. Not all plastic surgeons are willing to operate on patients who have had silicone injected in their body. Many of these cases are not covered by insurance because they were performed for cosmetic reasons. My recommendation to anyone that has had silicone injections and wishes to have it removed, is to seek a board certified plastic surgeon who is likely willing to do more than 1 operation as well as willing to do some of these operations in a hospital setting. I have had patients visit me for removal of silicone and the discussion to proceed is never an easy one.

Sam Lam, MD, FACS, FISHRS · Answer

That is extremely odd. There should not be swelling there. It is most likely the silicone itself. However, since I don't know your situation, I don't know how to counsel you. In general, I tend to be very hesitant with injectable steroid. I think there is always a risk of actually creating an unseemly and difficult to manage divot. Sorry that I can't give a better answer.
Best,
sml

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