Open Silicone Injection Removal with Posterior Butt Lift Reconstruction Female*

One of the main reasons illegal silicone injections are so dangerous is that the material can spread, harden, and damage otherwise healthy tissue.   Our patient is a 31-year-old White female who saw Dr. J. Timothy Katzen after receiving foreign body injections to the buttocks in Las Vegas in 2017.   She later developed pain, skin deformity, and concern that some of the silicone had migrated toward the groin, known medically as the inguinal region.   In cases like this, buttock silicone removal is not simply about taking out one lump.  The silicone may be scattered through the soft tissue, surrounded by scar tissue, and responsible for chronic inflammation.  That is why Dr. Katzen performed an open injection removal technique under general anesthesia.  By directly opening the area, he could identify and remove tissue affected by the illegal silicone injections, rather than leaving contaminated tissue behind.  Once the damaged tissue was removed, Dr. Katzen performed a posterior butt lift to elevate the buttocks and improve contour after the excision. This reconstructive step is important because removing silicone can leave the area loose, uneven, or deflated if it is not reshaped. These photos were taken 4 years after surgery and show our patient’s remarkable results, with a smoother contour and a healthier-looking buttock.  Her long-term result demonstrates how silicone injection removal and posterior butt lift surgery can work together to restore form.