Posterior Butt Lift with Open Silicone Removal for Pain Relief & Smooth Contour*

Our patient is a 64-year-old White male, 185lbs at surgery, who lived with multiple foreign body buttock injections for more than 20 years. He was told they were silicone, and over time, he developed worsening discomfort and a visible lump at the top of the buttock, a sign that the injected material and surrounding tissue were no longer stable. Dr. Timothy Katzen performed a posterior butt lift with open silicone injection removal under general anesthesia to remove infected, painful tissue and restore a healthier contour. Through an open approach, Dr. Katzen exposed the affected area, identified pockets of inflamed and infected tissue, and removed the foreign material in a controlled, step-by-step manner to protect the skin and preserve the blood supply. In this case, 1.5lb of infected tissue was removed, which can reduce pressure, tightness, drainage, and the source of pain. After careful cleansing, he repositioned and tightened the deeper tissues, trimmed excess stretched skin, and closed the incision in layers so tension was shared and the scar could heal more predictably. Drains and compression are often used short-term to manage fluid while swelling improves. Photos were taken 2 months after surgery, and even as healing continues, our patient’s results are already remarkable, with a smoother upper buttock contour and relief of most of his pain as inflammation settles. Our patient also reported greater comfort when sitting and moving day to day.