9 novembre, 2006 13:19

DOCTORS here say liquid silicone never leaves the body.

The body forms fibrous reactions around it, causing hardening, lumpiness and puffiness. It also makes the area prone to infection like in Ms Mei's case.

Unlike solid particle fillers, liquid silicone migrates in the body.

'Which is why all silicone-injected patients look the same - like they were made of wax and then put in front of a fire. They have a 'melted' look,' said Dr Woffles Wu, a consultant plastic surgeon at Camden Medical Centre.

Steroid injections can reduce inflammation and the effect of the body reacting to the silicone.

Surgery can remove some but not all of the silicone in the face as it wraps itself around facial nerves. Complete removal could lead to facial paralysis.

If the silicone is in the breast, then it's possible to remove all the breast tissue and hope that no silicone has travelled to other parts of the body.

'But current silicone breast implants, when put into the breasts by qualified plastic surgeons, as opposed to free silicone jabs, are safe and do not cause the problems that happened to Ms Mei,' said Dr Erik Ang, a consultant plastic surgeon.