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Some People are Simply Crazy

Have you seen on the news that 6 ladies in North Jersey have ended up in the hospital after having “buttock augmentation” performed by a “doctor” in North Jersey?   Apparently the procedure involved injections of commercial grade silicone caulk (like the kind used to caulk bathtubs) to augment the buttock region.  At least 6 women were hospitalized with infections with a bacteria known as Nocardia.

This is unbelievable on many fronts.  First of all, it is amazing that people with any level of an IQ (even a low one) would allow someone to inject caulk into their body!  I would believe that one person might sign up for this procedure, but 6?   Indeed, one has to believe that if six known infections are out there then there are likely many more who either did not get infected or were not reported to the state.

What type of doctor would do this?  Actually, what type of person would do this?  I find it hard to believe that even someone posing as a physician wouldn’t realize that this was bound to become a disaster!  Plastic surgeons tell patients all of the time to make sure that their doctor is board certified and a responsible, ethical physician.  Plastic surgeons certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery know what is safe, and what isn’t.  Click this link to read about the importance of plastic surgery board certification when choosing a cosmetic surgeon.  They simply don’t do things like this.  While one might expect this type of story in a third-world country, it apparently can happen right here in a major city!  This is the extreme example of why the buyer must beware!

One has to worry not only about the short term effects of infection but also the long term effects of silicone injected into the tissues.  Many of us have seen the disasters created when liquid silicone is injected into lips, breasts, and other body parts.  The appearance of injectables such as liquid silicone caulk will be devastating.  Most importantly,  silicone injected like this can have severe, long-term health implications.

For now I would caution women against injecting anything into their body for buttock augmentation other than their own fat.  If buttock augmentation is to be performed, liposuction can be performed in a safe, operating room environment, the fat can be purified and cleansed, and then reinjected to sculpt the buttock.  While there are some surgeons who place solid silicone implants for buttock augmentation, once again this should be a procedure performed in a sterile environment by a competent physician.

This story repeats many well known lessons.  First of all, some people will do anything for a buck.  As a consumer, one needs to do her homework.  If a new procedure is being performed at someone’s “house” or in a new “clinic” by an unregistered “doctor,” run as fast as possible in the other direction.  It is very important that prospective patients do their homework and ask questions.  When in doubt about the qualifications of a physician, check online or with your state medical society.