What are the pros and cons of PMMA butt injections? Is my health at risk?

Question

I have been searching the web to find that PMMA is the only FDA approved injection for butt shots. However it isn't approved in large sums. I do NOT want any part of the silicon & hydrogel injections, those are too dangerous and my health is more important to me than anythining. Does PMMA harden the butt after the shots? Will I be putting my life in danger if I get PMMA shots? After 5 or 10 or 30 years will my body become disfigured? I really need info!

Ryan A. Stanton, MD · Answer

Allow me to share with you some information that you may not hear elsewhere. There are only two proven safe and relatively effective methods for Buttock Augmentation and Hip Augmentation: 1) Autologous Fat Transfer (using your own fat, transferring from one area of the body to the other) and 2) Buttock/Hip Implants (semi-solid silicone rubber implants that cannot rupture &/or leak). Both are very good options so what it comes down to, like any surgery, is proper patient selection. Indeed because at least 50+ % of the fat transferred will melt away within a year, most patients are not good candidates because they lack an adequate amount of fat to harvest. Another tip is that if you gain weight for the procedure, the fat that you lose first when you go back down to your baseline weight after surgery is in fact that fat that you originally gained and transferred into your buttocks...so don't fall victim to this recommendation.  Although using your own fat is relatively safe, the one serious complication that can rarely (< 1%) happen is "fat embolism" in which some of the fat gets into the blood stream and travels up into the lungs, heart, and/or brain causing serious problems. This complication is more likely to happen with the larger amount of fat being transferred. This can also happen when using fillers like PMMA and hyaluronic acids. Also fillers, when injected in large quantities, have a relatively high tendency to migrate away from the original area they were placed and tend to stimulate a lot of inflammation and subsequent scar tissue/hardening.

	 

	Thus buttock/hip implants become a very good, safe, and long term reliable option for most patients seeking buttock augmentation (at least in my practice). I prefer to insert the buttock implants through a single 2 ½ inch long incision over the tailbone (concealed within the crevice between the buttock cheeks) and the hip implants through a ~ 1 inch incision just below the beltline above the hip region. The buttock implant should always be placed under or within the gluteus maximus muscle. In this position, the implant is less palpable, less visible, and does not sag or shift/migrate over time unlike implants placed on top of the muscle. Therefore it is extremely important to seek consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon who specializes in this procedure. And in this case too, at least in my surgical practice, the infection rate is minimized to ~5%. Glad to help… @drryanstanton

Johnny Franco, MD, FACS · Answer

This is a very common question, as patients want to use
something that is going to be simple but safe for their buttock augmentation.

First of all I would NOT have PMMA, silicone, collagen,
biopolymer or any other substance injected into your buttock that is not
fat.  That is a set-up for life long
problems.  Some people have these
injections and are fine, but the people that have problems have them for life.

Unfortunately here in Miami many patients try to save money
by having their procedure performed by non-plastic surgeons and at facilities
that have not been accredited and often have problems.

Currently the only safe injection for buttock augmentation
is fat.  This is called the Brazilian
Butt Lift; it is so popular because it enables your plastic surgeon to
transform your entire shape.  Liposuction
is performed over several areas depending on the individual patient needs, but
typically of the flanks, abdomen, back and thighs.  So this is going to change your entire
shape.

I would advise you to see a board certified plastic surgeon
that commonly performs fat transfer procedures.

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

PMMA can harden the tissues as you pointed out.  You would probably be safer longterm with Brazilian buttlift or buttock implants.  Kenneth Hughes, MD Los Angeles, CA

What are the pros and cons of PMMA butt injections? Is my health at risk?

Answers (3)

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Nonsurgical Butt Lift

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

What are the pros and cons of PMMA butt injections? Is my health at risk?

Answers (3)

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Nonsurgical Butt Lift

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