Can The Silicone Oil From My Buttocks Be Drained Or Removed?

Q:  Hello Dr. Eppley, I have reviewed your website qned found that you have run across silicone oil pockets and were able to induce drainage during a lift surgery. I have had buttock injections done. I do not have any lumps and I wanted to know that if found by MRI is there a way for a large pocket of silicone in my buttock to be drained? I really want to know if you can help me by performing this procedure, since you have seen and had experience with silicone oil. I really need your care. Thank you for emailing me in advance.

A: The traditional method by which silicone oil injections are done is supposed to be a small or ‘microdroplet’ approach for soft tissue augmentation. This is taught this way to avoid a large collection of isolated oil which can cause tissue reactions and fibrosis. While this may be the way it is done in the face, I suspect that most buttock augmentations with silicone oil involves much larger deposits than small drops. Since you have no lumps in your buttocks, you may not have any large oil collections that are capable of being drained. Certainly an MRI would reveal if such collections exist. If they do, drainage may certainly be possible. The one question I would ask then is, if you are having no problems, why do you want it removed? This is particularly relevant given that a surgery and an incision may be needed to do so.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana