Treatment of Biopolymer/Hydrogel Buttock Injections

Recently, there had been numerous cases of the use of industrial grade products injected into the body, such as the buttocks and thighs, performed by unlicensed or unskilled practitioners.  Some of these products range from injectable silicone or high-volume hyaluronic acid or hydrogel. Even though some of these products, such as silicone, may be biologically inert, these materials have been implicated in a variety of adverse reactions including granulomas, disfiguring nodules, and lymphedema, sometimes with latent periods of decades.  Often, they may cause disfiguring chronic infections that may require intravenous antibiotics or extensive surgical debridement.  

There had been a few cases that the chronic infections  resulting from illegally injected industrial grade products into the lower extremities, such as the legs, resulted in amputations as a life-saving procedure.  

Figure 1:  Chronic infection from an Biopolymer injections into the buttocks and thighs performed by an unlicensed and unskilled practitioner. 

Clinical Manifestations & Symptoms

• Chronic infection, such as cellulitis, that are recurrent despite antibiotics
• Firmess or hardening of the area of injections
• Chronic pain, such as buttock pain
• Numbness sensation of the area of injection
• Discoloration of the skin of the area of injection

Clinical Management

• We recommend obtaining an MRI of the area of injection to determine the extent of injection as well as the area where the material has potentially migrated.  The MRI would act as a map to determine where your surgeon would remove the biopolymer.

Treatment

• The treatment varies from patient to patient.  This may range from surgical excision, to hyaluronidase injection followed by VASER liposuction and fat transfer into the area to correct the resultant deformity.  Unfortunately, it is not possible to completely remove the biopolymer and not result in a significant deformity of the area involved.  Complete removal, such as surgical excision, may result in a life-changing deformity.  

Figure 2:  Hydrogel/Biopolymer removal from the buttocks using the VASER Liposuction with fat transfer to the buttocks to correct the resulting deformity from removal of the biopolymer.  Patient had resolution of a chronic buttock pain after surgery.

I recommend seeing a plastic surgeon for evaluation and possible removal of the biopolymer injected into one's body.  An MRI may be necessary to evaluate the location of the injected material.  Every person is different, and each treatment may be different.

Emmanuel De La Cruz MD, PLLC

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon Houston, Texas

Fat Graft Harvested via VASER Liposuction is Viable and Suitable for Fat Transfer in Brazilian Butt Lift Patients

Although there's clinical evidence of successful autologous fat transfer (AFT), such as in Brazilian Butt Lift, using VASER liposuction is readily available, no study has quantified adipocyte viability using standardized methods until recently.

• The UAL system (VASER; Sound Surgical Technologies, Inc, Louisville, Colorado) was set at 60% amplitude in pulsed mode with vacuum aspiration of 15 in Hg or less.
• Laboratory analysis included free lipid volume, viability via lipolysis and propidium iodide staining, and cytological analysis, including cell surface protein examination and hematoxylin and eosin staining.
• The lipolysis assay revealed metabolically active adipocytes with a mean (SD) correlative viability of 85.1%
• Direct measures of acute viability via propidium iodide staining resulted in a mean (SD) viability measure of 88.7%
• Adipose tissue acquired via VASER liposuction is viable at harvest and isa suitable source for autologous fat grafts, especially for Brazilian Butt Lift.
• Adiposed-derived stem cells (fat for fat transfer) obtained via VASER liposuction were of equal quality when directly compared with the current gold standard harvest method according to a study conducted by Duscher.   "UAL- and SAL-derived samples demonstrated equivalent ASC yield and viability, and UAL ASCs were not impaired in their osteogenic, adipogenic, or chondrogenic differentiation capacity."

4D VASER Liposuction performed by Dr. Emmanuel De La Cruz of Houston, Texas

Reference:

Duscher, et al. Ultrasound-Assisted Liposuction Does Not Compromise the Regenerative Potential of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.  Stem Cells Transl Med. 2016 Feb;5(2):248-57. doi: 10.5966/sctm.2015-0064. Epub 2015 Dec 23.

Schafer, et al.  Acute adipocyte viability after third-generation ultrasound-assisted liposuction. Aesthet Surg J. 2013 Jul;33(5):698-704. doi: 10.1177/1090820X13485239. Epub 2013 May 29.

Hand Rejuvenation using Fat Grafting

Apart from the most obvious region (face & neck) where aging can be seen and where most aesthetic surgery for rejuvenation are performed,  the dorsum of the hand is the next obvious area where aging can be seen and is continuously visible in daily life.  What they used to say,"If you want to know a woman's age, look at her hands" still holds true.

The region of the hand exhibits laxity of the skin with subcutaneous atrophy and age-related pigmentations in a comparable manner to the face. Fat transfer to the dorsum of the hand enables subcutaneous regeneration by refilling the subcutaneous space and hence reducing some of the age-related degenerative process.

Areas of Concern of the Aging Hand

• Bony-looking hands due to loss of some of the fat beneath the skin that occurs with age
• Prominent veins
• Brown aging spots (liver spots)

Rejuvenation Treatment for the Aging Hand

•    Chemical peels to improve the overall appearance of the skin on the back of the hand
• Fillers or Fat transfer onto the dorsum or back of the hand to make them appear less bony.  Fat transfer is ideal since this may improve the texture of the skin.

Please consult your plastic surgeon regarding hand rejuvenation.

Emmanuel De La Cruz MD, PLLC

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon, and Hand Surgeon

References:   

• Coleman SR.  Hand rejuvenation with structural fat grafting. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2002 Dec;110(7):1731-44; discussion 1745-7. 
• Villanueva, et al.  Technical Refinements in Autologous Hand Rejuvenation.  Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015 Dec;136(6):1175-9.