Chelsea Lee
Medical Research Editor
WhereismyDoctor.com

PIP Breast Implants Found Safe

July 23rd, 2012

Breast surgery is a huge decision for any woman, especially when considering the wide variety of options for implants.

Whether a woman is in need of breast reconstruction or simply wants breast augmentation, there are serious risks involved as there are with any plastic surgery.

And for over a year now, thousands of European women have waited for more information about their potentially dangerous PIP implants.

The PIP implants, which were manufactured by a French company, were filled with a less-expensive industrial silicone rather than the typical medical-quality implant fillers.

The wait is now officially over as the NHS’s official statement reports that the implants are neither carcinogenic nor toxic to the human body.

NHS medical director and head of the PIP implant medical review, Proffesor Sir Burce Keogh, assures women of the findings saying that the tests have "shown that the implants are not toxic and therefore we do not believe they are a threat to the long-term health of women who have PIP implants."

However, just because the PIP implants are technically safe does not mean they are the ideal choice for breast implants.

The PIP implants have a rupture rate nearly double that of other implants.

Keogh warns of the lingering PIP problems saying "We have however found that these implants are substandard, when compared to other implants and that they are more likely to rupture. We would therefore advise that women who have symptoms of a rupture - for example tenderness, soreness or lumpiness - should speak to their surgeon or GP."

Fazel Fatah, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons agrees with Prof. Keogh’s statement and echoes his comment with her own.

Fatah says, "Despite rigorous testing showing no long-term danger to human health from the individual chemicals in the gel, the fact remains that PIPs are significantly more likely to rupture and leak and, therefore, cause physical reactions in an unacceptable proportion of the patients.”

For patients whose implants were fitted by the NHS, the NHS plans to remove and replace those implants at no charge.

The NHS will also replace implants for women in Wales even if they had been fitted privately. And in England and Scotland the NHS will remove private patients’ implants, but will not be replacing them.

Talk to a platic surgeon near you for more information about this topic.