Silicone Buttock Injections

Q: Dr. Eppley, Dr Eppley, five years ago I received illegal silicone buttock injections once and I believe it is catching up with me now that I’ve become pregnant. I lost a ton of weight in the beginning of my pregnancy from being sick and was in the bed for months. I started noticing 5-6 hard lump areas in my butt and thigh areas and when I visited my family doctor he couldn’t understand what it was. They did a tissue ultrasound and didn’t see anything so they just prescribed me an antibiotic and said since I hadn’t had a fever or any pain, it should be ok. My OB however said he had seen this in pregnant women before and said not to worry about the antibiotic, but it would eventually go away (I don’t think so, it’s been months). I didn’t tell them about the injections out of embarrassment but I just need to know if you think this maybe the issue, and I so if I could get a consultation from you and possibly some insight on what to do? 

Thank you! 

A: Such buttock bumps as you have desired are undoubtably tissues reactions from the prior silicone injections. Why they have chosen to develop during your pregnancy I can not say. Perhaps the change in your hormonal  levels from the pregnancy has ‘stirred them up’ so to speak. During your pregnancy no treatment for them can be done. But in a non-pregnancy state and if they became more symptomatic (continues to get bigger or become red), the treatment for them would be liposuction with fat injections. Antibiotics are of no benefit unless the areas became red. It will be interesting to see if they lessen once you deliver and your hormonal levels drop back to normal.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana