Can Be PMMA Be Used For Buttock Augmentation?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in getting silicone oil injections in my buttocks and hips. I want 1400 to 1600cc. I’m not sure which one yet though, but I would love if you gave me an estimate on pricing so I can be aware of how much money I would actually need. This would be my first time getting the injections. With that being said I need to know the pros and cons of the injections.  I know some doctors won’t use silicone so, if not, can Artefill be injected in the buttocks instead?

A: I do not do silicone oil injections for buttock augmentation. They are not only illegal from an FDA regulatory standpoint but are unsafe as well for large volume augmentation. Silicone oil and may other injected substances in the buttocks have clearly been shown to cause a lot of potential problems from foreign-body reactions, hardening and infections.

Although Artefill is an FDA-approved material for facial injection, its use in the buttocks would be off-label and ill-advised. Aside from the unknown tissue reactions that may occur from a large volume injectate in an unstudied tissue site, it is economically impractical. At $800/1cc syringe, you can quickly see that using 1400cc to 1600cc would cost over $1,000,000 just for the material alone.

The only safe and large volume material that can be injected into the buttocks is your own fat. While how well fat survives after being injected is variable, it has the advantage of being the most economical method of natural non-implant buttock augmentation.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana