PIP Silicone Gel Breast Implants
Having assisted in the first national case of Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) breast implant removal following the international scandal, I have just written a case report for publication in the BJS Snapshots in Surgery. Watch this space...
The PIP breast implant scandal has affected an estimated 40,000 British women. The entrepreneur at the centre of the global storm, Jean-Claude Mas was apprehended with Claude Couty, the former Chief Executive of PIP, and the pair are in police custody following admissions that unapproved Silicone was used in the breast implants.
The Department of Health recommends removal or exchange of ruptured implants. For patients without symptoms or signs of rupture or leak, removal should be offered in cases where the Surgeon considers that the benefits outweigh the risks. The NHS will replace the implants if the original operation was done by the NHS.
Patients from the private sector who have been unable to secure help from their original provider will be eligible for help from the NHS. The government has offered implant removal but implants will not be replaced in these patients.
There is no link to cancer and there is no clear evidence of an increased risk of harm compared to other brands of breast implants. Nevertheless, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is collecting data based on explants in order to further inform the debate.
Watch this space...
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