Subcutaneous Washout Procedure (SWOP) for Treating Severe Complications of an Aesthetic Gluteal Augmentation with a Copolyamide Filler

Abstract

Apart from surgical procedures for breast and buttock augmentation, copolyamide fillers can be locally injected for an increase in volume. This method is especially popular in Asia. A 39-year-old female patient had received a buttock augmentation by injection of a copolyamide filler. She presented with multiple abscesses six years after the augmentation. She had developed multiple fistulas and the filler had migrated down to the thigh muscles. In the presented case, the patient experienced multiple complications such as abscess formation, filler migration and chronic infection, with a significant time delay. Complete removal of the filler is only possible by removing surrounding tissue as well. Surgical treatment with repeated debridements and administration of an intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotic are the current standard of care. In contrast, the SWOP technique presented here appears to be less invasive and less likely for local recurrence. A breast or buttock augmentation with copolyamide fillers is associated with a high risk of abscess and fistula formation leading to a permanent disfigurement of the patient.