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| Medical grade silicone is available in for medical use in two forms, solid implant and liquid injection. Each of these has limitations from the US Food and Drug Administration. Liquid silicone is the injectable form. Its use in medicine for soft tissue augmentation is no longer permitted in the US. It is permitted for some ophthalmic uses. It is prohibited for soft tissue augmentation because the complication rate was unacceptable when it was studied in the past. Liquid silicone was initially thought to be useful when injected in microdroplets into the dermal layer of skin. Injectors of silicone in the penis do not inject silicone into the dermal layer of the penis skin because this layer is quite thin and microdroplet injections in this layer would not provide any significant Girth to the penis. In my experience, it has been injected into the Dartos layer of the penis, which has relatively loose tissue and no dermis in which to seat the silicone. Liquid silicone acts by reacting with the body, forming something called a foreign body granuloma. Over time, these granulomas enlarge and become hard nodules. These nodules can be difficult to remove, They can erode through the skin causing ulceration. More importantly, there is only one type of liquid silicone approved for human use in the US. Some patients get injections with non-medical grade silicone that has impurities. The body reacts to these impurities, often causing oozing and ulceration. For these reasons, liquid silicone is not a useful product in the long run for penis enlargement. As a plastic surgeon, I have many years of experience managing patients who have had silicone injected into various parts of the body and face. Many of these patients went overseas to have injections and did not develop problems for many years. However, once the problems occurred, they were severe and their management was not simple. Silicone implants are the other form of silicone for human use. I have experience with silicone breast implants, facial implants, pectoral implants, arm and calf implants and custom implants for both cosmetic and reconstructive problems. In general, solid silicone implants are best used in parts of the body that are static. The penis is not the breast, the calf, or the chin. That is these are parts of the body that do not change in the size or shape and the implant adds bulk, not function. The penis is a unique organ. It has parts that change with sexual arousal and function, as well as things like temperature. These functions will continue to occur with an immobile silicone implant. So the forces exerted on the implant over time become considerable. The device rubs against the skin, which in the penis is thin. This thin skin is an essential part of the penis’s function and sensation. Over time, the implant has a high incidence of erosion through the skin. Once the skin has broken down, the implant must be removed. Skin acts as a barrier against bacterial invasion. Silicone implants have an attraction for bacteria. This attraction is akin to a magnetic force. Once the skin integrity is lost, the bacteria invade and adhere to the silicone. Removal of the implant with immediate replacement will not be successful since the bacteria in the area of the old implant will remain and will attach to the new device. This is why any implant, whether breast, facial, calf or penis must be removed if it is exposed. Since the history of a firm device under thin skin is that the device will eventually become exposed, it seems more reasonable to never put the device into the penis in the first place. Finally, while silicone implants may be approved under something known as a 510K rule, that is not the same as a full approval. The 510k rule states that the device is essentially similar to another device that is already approved. That is how most silicone devices are brought to market. The cost to achieve clearance of a device beyond a 510k rule is very high, and beyond the reach of most small implant manufacturers. It is important to realize, also, that I am not being critical of penile implants for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Those devices are not designed for cosmetic enlargement of the penis. Those devices are for functional purposes and placed into the functional part of the penis, not under the skin of the shaft. Devices used for cosmetic enlargement, in my opinion as a plastic surgeon, are not appropriate for the penis. One of the main principles of plastic surgery is to “replace like tissue with like tissue.” There is nothing naturally in the penis that is similar to a solid subcutaneous silicone implant. Breast implants feel like a breast. Calf implants feel like a calf. Cosmetic penis implants feel like a silicone rubber device placed under the skin of the penis. In summary, silicone in its various forms is problematic for use in the penis. Based upon my experience as a plastic surgeon in practice for 30 years and my knowledge of injectable silicone, there is no place for this material in the penis. Subcutaneous silicone implants are equally problematic for patients, despite the seeming simplicity of the device. In other words, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Patients should be extremely cautious when considering silicone in their penis, regardless of the type of silicone used. I hope this information is helpful, Dr. Mark Solomon |
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I agree with Dr Solomon, Neither liquid (injectable) nor solid (surgical implants) for the penis. | |
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation. Last edit: by Skeptical_One. |