Gortex in my Upper Lip, Can I Have Restylene Injected?

Question

Years ago, I had gortex put into my upper lip. Aging has caused my lips to thin. I'd like to have Restylene injected. Can this be done with the existing gortex in my upper lip? I'd rather not remove the gortex, just add the filler if possible. Thanks for your answer!

Michael A. Persky, MD · Answer

Hi Last,

	Injections into an area where an implant is located must be done with extreme care and caution.  Facial implants form a capsule around them and there is no blood supply inside the capsule.  Should a very small number of bacteria from your skin or mouth get into the implant capsule during injection there is the possibility of a delayed infection 5 to 7 days later.  If that occurs, then you would need antibiotics and usually the implant would be removed.  Gortex implants are relatively easy to remove due to the capsule that forms around them. 

	Make sure that you choose your injecting physician most carefully and discuss your implant.  Your injections with Restylane should be placed superficially.  Good luck and be well.

	Dr. P

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

Filling the lip with Restylane is a very practical option.  You need to have an injector with experience in lip shaping.  However, you should do fine with this option.

Scott C. Sattler, MD, FACS · Answer

There is no reason to remove the Goretex lip implant prior to lip augmentation with HA fillers. Make sure your injector is aware that the lip implant is in place. Seek out an injector that does a lot of lip injections.

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

I would go to a very experienced injector to be evalutated. There certainly is an increased risk of complications with lip injections and having a foreign body in your lip.

Kenneth Beer, MD · Answer

Yes, but the chances of having lumps or bumps increases because there is a fixed object that the product gel has to flow around. Removing the goretex is also a hard thing to do in some instances because it probably has been in place long enough to have attached itself pretty firmly.

	I would try a small amount of injection to see how it looks and then decide whether more is appropriate.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

I am one of the early pioneers that used Goretex threads for Lip Augmentation which I substituted with Alloderm some 15 years ago.  IMHO, the biggest concern with the goretex, in your lip, is avoid any trauma or bleeding around the goretex as this can cause the body to reject the material as a foreign body.  If the Restylane or Juvederm is injected along the Vermillion border (and the Goretex is in the middle of the lip) that would most likely be far enough away from the Goretex.  

	 If the Goretex is in the middle of the lip, I'd avoid placing fillers into the body of the lip for the same reason.  In fact fillers should not be placed within the body of the lip as this can occlude the vein causing necrosis of the central section of the lips as has been reported in the literature some 20 odd years ago.

	 You may want to consider placing Alloderm Lip Implants, which are at a different and more superficial layer than the Goretex, for a longer lasting Lip Augmentation (about 7 years).  If the Goretex ever moves, it's actual quite easy to remove for a surgeon with experience doing so.  Hope this helps.

Eugene Mandrea, MD (retired) · Answer

Restylane is compatible with Goretex (polytetrafluoroethylene), but it requires a great deal of expertise.

	It needs to be injected carefully and slowly by an experienced operator . The good thing is that if too much ends up being injected in an area, it can at least partially be  removed by injecting Hyaluronidase.

	Make sure that you are being treated by an experienced, Boars Certified Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon

Jonathan Sonne, MD (retired) · Answer

There is no need to remove a lip implant in order to have fillers. In fact, with the implant you probably will not require as much filler as the Goretex is providing volume enhancement. When placing fillers, I cautiously inject around the implant and have never found there to be any problems.

Anifat Balogun, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Yes, you can have Restylane or other hyaluronic acid lip injections when you have a gortex implant in place. There is no need to remove the gortex implant.

Laura E. Skellchock, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

I've have several patients with gortex implants in their lips and have successfully treated them with hyaluronic acid products. Please be sure to go to a board certified physician for this procedure - and make sure they inject very slowly - this will allow the product to move easily into the most volume depleted areas, and will reduce pain and bruising. Good luck!

Gortex in my Upper Lip, Can I Have Restylene Injected?

Answers (10)