Smelly Silicone Gel Breast Implants?

My silicone gel breast implants smell! I can smell them and so can my friends. I thought it was just me but people I know can smell them. What is this? Will the smell go away?

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13 Doctor Answers | Asked by zuelkea in fdl, wi. usa

Doctor Answers (13)
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Have your surgeon examine you

This is an unusual scenario, and may represent an infection. The best person to evaluate you is the surgeon who performed your procedure-- set up a follow up visit with him or her so that they can take a good look at how you are healing and make sure no infection exists.

Foul-smelling drainage with silicone breast implants

This is the first time I have heard a complaint like this after performing thousands of breast augmentations. It is in your best interest to seek the consultation of a plastic surgeon to help determine the source of the malodor. Depending on the age of your implant, you will likely be asked to obtain an impllant MRI to evaluate implant ingerity or lack of such. My diagnosis would only be conjecture. From an embyologic standpoint the breast is a modified sweat gland that has evolved to... more

Otto Joseph Placik, MD

32 reviews

Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Silicone is odorless

Zuelkea, I have also never heard this complaint from any patient or experienced an odor to silicone gel implants myself. Perhaps, you have an infection that may be causing an odor. Alternatively, your sweat glands could be functioning abnormally due to the trauma or the denervation that occurs from surgery, and may be producing more perspiration. Have your surgeon take a whiff. By the way, how's the size?

Never heard of smelly breast implants

I have never heard of smelly breast implants. The odor is most likely from something else. If you are concerned, I would get an evaluation by your surgeon.

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

What do I do?? I think my Breast Implants Smell Bad!

Hi there- I would wholeheartedly agree with my colleagues that whatever it is that is offending you and your friends, it is not the implants... The only way the implants would cause an odor would be if they were involved in an infection. In this case, the bacteria causing the infection would produce gases that would smell foul. I doubt this could be occurring in your case, however, as in most cases of breast implant infection (because they are foreign bodies), the patient is violently ill, with more

Silicone breast implants cannot smell.

Hi. I certainly don't know what you are smelling, but I assure you it is not the silicone breast implants. You need to be examined.

Make sure they are silicone

Some crazy things have been tried on patients over the years. I certainly agree that an odor would not be coming from the silicone implant itself, but there have been cases of implants being filled with fat and then placed for augmentation as well as the vegetable oil filled implants that were on the market in Europe at one time. If your surgery was performed in the US by a qualified Plastic Surgeon, these scenarios would be very unlikely, but people get fooled every day... more

Not the Implants

Breast implants are packaged, shipped and inserted in a sterile fashion. In addition the silicone is inert. So it's not the implants but may be bacteria associated with the implants. Bacteria has a particularly acrid or unpleasant smell. Without knowing other information I suggest you see your surgeon immediately for an evaluation.

Rule out breast infection

I agree with the panel. Ruling out infection is the most important step. It is unlikely that breast implant infection would present with odor before other signs but an infected suture line might.

There is something wrong

Breast implants do not smell. There is something wrong. In the past there was one brand of implant that was filled with soybean oil instead of silicone and these did produce a foul odor. However, I doubt that you have these implants since they have long since be taken off the market. You really should go see your surgeon for an evaluation. Good luck.

Wow!

This is MOST unusual. I have been working with silicone implants for well over 20 years, and I have never, ever, ever, smelled one, and I know of no one else who has ever smelled one either! I believe you and your friends. This is something that needs to be looked into immediatly. I urge you to get to your doctor as soon as you can for evaluation.

No way can implants emit odors

There is no way implants will emit any odors! There are no characterisitc odors to implants and there is no way any odors will permeate (pass through) all the layers of tissue between the implants and your skin.

Get seen by a plastic surgeon soon

Your implants should simply not smell. If you and your friends can smell them then something is wrong. This is not normal. Get seen by a plastic surgeon sooner than later and have this evaluated.