Are Gurgling and Swishing Common in Silicone Implants at High Altitudes?

10 months ago, I had breast augmentation (silicone). Now, each time I travel to Lake Tahoe, the high altitude seems to have an effect on them. I hear a gurgle and swishing sound. I have found that if I massage them, this usually goes away.

Nevertheless, I am concerned. Doing a google search, I came across a woman on this site with a similar experience, but the doctors seemed to be unaware of these effects. Are there any doctors who have heard of this and should I see my doctor about it?

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5 Doctor Answers | Asked by J. Gray

Doctor Answers (5)
Community Comments (2)

Breast implant gurgling

Dear J. Gray: Thanks for your question. A breast augmentation video can be viewed by clicking "more" below. I have done many breast augmentations and I like to ask each patient how they are doing at each visit. I encourage them to share any concerns and problems, so I think I have heard just about everything that can happen. I have had several patients report noises or feeling odd sensations from their breast implants from traveling to high altitudes or flying. Most... more

Joseph Mele, MD

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Walnut Creek Plastic Surgeon

www.DrMele.com

Gurgling and squishing after breast augmentation

It is very common after breast augmentation surgery to temporarily have a gurgling or squishing sound coming from your breasts. This is a result of having some fluid between the implant and the capsule. If you move your arm and the implant shifts slightly to one side, the fluid has to go in the opposite direction which is what causes the sound or sensation of fluid moving. The fluid generally goes away with time. Some patients will also experience this with exercise and high altitudes... more

Not common to have this with silicone

Regardless of altitiude it is not common to find gurgling and swishing feeling with silicone implants as the viscosity of these are similar to tissue. Perhaps you should see your surgeon for reassurance.

Swishing sensation with silicone implants

Lake Tahoe is only about 6000 ft elevation. The atmospheric pressure difference should not be that noticeable, and isn't even as much as you'd experience on a commercial flight. What you're experiencing is unlikely to be related to the altitude. The density of gel implants is also not that different from the surrounding tissue. If you're concerned about it, you should speak to your surgeon

Implants ok at high altitude

This is a very interesting question but in 20 years of practice I haven't heard of anything like that. I do have a large number of implant patients who are flight attendants or skiers, and there doesn't seem to be a problem with altitude or air pressure change.

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Comments (2)

Eloah 14 Nov 2012

I just had the same sensations (I was on mountains, at ~2.200 m altitude)... My implants are around 5 y.o., and last winter i had some re-positioning intervention. I felt (and heard also soft noises like bubbling) that sensation only when in bathroom, moving my arms while whiping the water off my body. It was so strange that feeling, cause i never felt it before. In the moment i put my bra/ bustier on, that annoying sensation dissapeared. And nothing after that anymore....So, dear doctors who pretend that there might be something wrong with our surgery/ implants, you should consider and analyse more this side effect... It does exist! And probably there are more women feeling it when being in high altitude. Don't make a secret from this side effect...

Cindy8263 16 Sep 2012

I live at sea level and am in Utah at Snowbird in the Rockies at 8000 ft. I am having a gurgling swishing sound in my chest since the day after getting here. I have solid silicone implants under the muscle.

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