Surgery scare
December 21, 2011
A day after French health authorities announced that 30,000 French women would be asked to have defective breast implants removed, Germany revealed that the French-made prostheses had a poor track record in that country as well.
At least 19 cases have been reported in Germany of torn breast implants manufactured by the now disbanded French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) announced Wednesday in Bonn.
BfArM spokesman Maik Pommer emphasized, however, that there had been no established link between the implants and eight cases of cancer in French women. He said the number of women in Germany carrying PIP implants was unknown.
According to the German Society for Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, PIP implants do not pose a large threat within Germany.
"We sent out a warning to our members in April 2010. We received responses from two surgeons who had used PIP products," a spokeswoman said.
In Britain, where an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 women received PIP implants, authorities urged the public not to panic. The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency maintained Wednesday that there was no need to have the implants removed.
Crisis in Paris
Paris, meanwhile, was awaiting a "plan of action" by the end of the week on the removal of breast implants produced using non-authorized silicone gel, Budget Minister Valerie Pecresse announced Tuesday.
"It is urgent for all women who have PIP implants to return to see their surgeons," Pecresse told LCI television.
"The removal will be entirely covered by health insurance," pledged Nora Berra, state secretary for health. Berra added, however, that new implants would not be paid for, except in cases of breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.
The scare has come in the wake of eight women with PIP mammary prostheses being diagnosed with cancer, although no direct correlation has been established between the implants and their illnesses.
Money-saving material
Top French cosmetic surgeon Laurent Lantieri, who sat on the Health Department's special committee on the issue, said Tuesday that all members were in agreement.
"We are facing a health crisis linked with a fraud," Lantieri added. "The entire profession is aware of this. There is no urgency but we no longer have any choice: all these implants must be removed."
PIP implants were banned in March 2010 after proving prone to leaks. PIP, believed to have used the non-conforming gel to save money, was liquidated days after.
Since last year, over 2,000 women have filed suit against PIP - once the world's third-largest producer of breast implants. According to French newspaper Liberation, some 300,000 women around the world have received breast augmentations using PIP products.
Author: David Levitz (AFP, dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Martin Kuebler