In the last number of months, it has come to light that over 47,000 women in the UK alone may have been fitted with potentially defective breast implants.
The Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) implants were manufactured by a French company who was using non-medical grade silicone in the manufacturing process. The silicone that they use is similar to the one used in mattresses. The low-quality silicone is at a higher risk of rupturing which can cause inflammation and injury.
It was originally thought that the company only used the silicone in its products after 2001, but it was recently confirmed that those produced before 2001 are also being inspected.
If there is a problem with the product, they can cause ruptures and can also leak toxic chemicals into the skin. They have been linked with cancer too. In the last number of years there have been four confirmed cases of cancer in women who have had the PIP implants. Two of these women have died but doctors cannot confirm or deny if the cancer was as a direct result of the implant. In France, a judicial investigation was sparked for a charge of involuntary homicide as a result of one of the deaths.
Fears are also growing for children who have been breast-fed while their mothers have had the implants.
If anyone is concerned that they may be affected by the problem, they are urged to visit their GP.
Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
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