Bacterial Vaginosis Remedies: PIP breast implants ? latest from the NHS

Sunday, 12 February 2012

PIP breast implants ? latest from the NHS

Women concerned about French-made PIP breast implants can find all the latest NHS information about the issue on this page.

Worries about the implants have emerged since news of a major investigation into them in France was widely covered in the media in December 2011.

It is thought that around 40,000 women in the UK have the implants, with about 95% of them having been provided privately for purely cosmetic reasons.

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What?s the problem?

The French implants caused global concern after it was revealed they contained industrial silicone rather than medical-grade fillers and that they may be more prone to rupture and leakage.

Initially reports also linked the implants to a rare form of cancer known as ALCL. This cancer link has been now been firmly discounted by medical experts here and in Europe.

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What type of implants are involved?

The implants involved are called Poly Implant Prosth�se (PIP) and were made, starting in 2001, by a French company of the same name. Implants made earlier by the firm are not thought to be affected.

In a Medical Device Alert in March 2010, the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said: " ...�most
breast implants manufactured by the company since 2001 have been filled with a silicone gel with a composition different from that approved".

It is reported that the company had started using a cheap type of silicone gel intended for making mattresses. The marketing, distribution and use of the PIP implants was suspended in March 2010.

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Do the implants have to be removed early?

Most breast implants need to be removed or replaced after 10-15 years.

An expert committee was set up recently to examine the specific risks associated with PIP implants. It concluded that as yet there was not enough evidence to recommend their early removal. For more details of its findings read the expert review group's report (PDF, 159kb).