Breast implants containing liquid silicon Washington, Dec 3 (ANI): A new study on liquid silicone, which is often used for breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures, has scientists sending out a warning that if injected improperly, can cause death due to respiratory failure.
The study, by a team of researchers led by Carlos S. Restrepo, M.D., director of chest radiology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, was presented recently at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
As a part of the study, the researchers compiled the imaging findings of 44 patients, 25 transsexual males and 19 women, with pulmonary embolism or obstruction of the lungs that resulted from illegal silicone injection, constituting the largest case series to date.
Seven patients who presented to the hospital with respiratory distress due to illicit silicone injection were studied, along with an additional 37 cases from the literature. Patients’ demographic information, clinical presentation, imaging findings and outcome were analyzed.
The researchers found that while all 44 patients experienced respiratory difficulties after receiving the injections, and nearly half experienced fever, and one-quarter of the patients died from resultant bleeding in the lungs.
Silicone that is injected improperly travels through the bloodstream and causes blood to coagulate in the lungs, creating circulatory obstructions that can be immediately life-threatening if not identified and treated quickly.
The imaging findings of pulmonary silicone embolism include dark, hazy patches in the lung tissue on x-rays or computed tomography (CT) scans.
Dr Restrepo said that the study showed the need to make people, especially women and transsexual males, aware of the life-threatening risks of getting liquid silicone injections.
"The illegal use of fluid silicone is a practice that carries life-threatening risks, and the community should be aware of the complications," he said.
As male transsexuals often undergo cosmetic procedures of the breasts, genitalia and other areas to make them appear more feminine, Dr Restrepo said that they should be particularly checked for symptoms of pulmonary embolism.
"Transsexual males in particular should be checked closely for signs of pulmonary embolism when they show symptoms of respiratory distress and fever," Dr. Restrepo emphasized.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned silicone injections in 1992, but people still seek them out because they are cheaper and easier to get than professional plastic surgery or hormone therapy and provide immediate results. (ANI)