NHS East Lancashire bosses offer advice over PIP breast implants (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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NHS East Lancashire bosses offer advice over PIP breast implants
1:38pm Tuesday 17th January 2012 in Health
ADVICE PIP implants
BOSSES at East Lancs Hospitals Trust have moved to reassure women who have had reconstructive breast surgery that it has never used the banned implants.
The defunct French company Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP) filled its implants with industrial-grade rather than medical-grade silicone, originally manufactured for use in the mattress industry.
Around 300,000 of the PIP implants were sold worldwide, with 40,000 fitted in the UK.
European health authorities recommended that women fitted with the banned implants should have them removed as a precaution.
But the NHS concluded that there was not enough evidence to recommend their routine removal.
A spokesman for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We recognise that this will be a worrying time for women with PIP implants and that they need to be properly supported by those that performed the implant surgery.
“If women living in the area have had breast implants placed in a non NHS hospital and are concerned that they might be PIP implants, they should contact that clinic.
“If that clinic no longer exists, or refuses to care for the patient, then they should seek advice from their GP.
“If there are symptoms in the breast such as a lump, redness or swelling or a change in shape, then the GP may refer the patient to a breast clinic to rule out any worrying breast disease.
"If there are no symptoms but the woman is worried about the implants leaking then the GP will be able to refer the patient for a non urgent ultrasound scan to assess the implants.”
The NHS will remove PIP implants if a woman and her doctor decide that it is right to do so because of clinical need, risk or unresolved concerns.
It will also replace the implants if the original operation was done by the NHS.
If a clinic that implanted PIP implants no longer exists or refuses to care for their patient, where that patient is entitled to NHS services, the NHS will remove PIP implants.
But this will not include replacing private cosmetic implants.
The Government is pursuing private clinics to make sure they match this offer.
Comments(8)
TONY WALES
says...
4:31pm Tue 17 Jan 12
If this government is not careful. everybody who has had cosmetic surgery, e.g.botox injections, fancy teeth operations , sometimes carried out abroad, will find themselves being asked to sort out the mistakes of others.
So I am afraid that these people who have had implants,need to know,that the job has gone tits up, and somebody has dropped a boob.
Say it Right
says...
5:37pm Tue 17 Jan 12
Luckily the clinic one of my friends used are removing and replacing all dodgy implants they used. I agree the NHS shouldn't be footing the bill to remove them. These greedy private company's should be removing the poison they inserted into these women and men.
pocketdragon
says...
8:26pm Tue 17 Jan 12
First of all, not every woman who has implants is vain. That is called tarring everyone with the same brush. I do know that some are but for the rest it is NOT vanity. But then, how would you know unless you felt the same? And how eould you know how much something like this would change someones confidence for the better and helped them feel better about themselves? As for NHS replacement, im not in favour of it however if the clinic has gone bust AND there are signs of rupture then i would say it should be done. The same way smokers have chemo/surgery for cancer caused by smoking and the same way drinkers are on donor waiting lists for livers. I doubt carlsberg would pick up the bill...if they did....
My point is that most women do this for themselves, they dont go into it lightly and have saved long and hard just to be ripped off no different to you buying something for yourself. Have a bit of consideration for those who arent chavs/pin up wannabe's.
Lifeinthemix
says...
1:11am Wed 18 Jan 12
wait for the right one to come along, and if he is talking about surgery...he ain't the right one....
Lifeinthemix
says...
12:56pm Wed 18 Jan 12
What ever happens over these dodgey implants it is wrong to spend NHS funds to repair the problem.
are you mad? if girlies need to get them out then out they must come and society must pay for it as it pays for the damage done by all chemistry in the foods when people then get sick...
if society doe not forbid the use of synthetics, then society is responsible for the damages....
bbgal
says...
3:02pm Wed 18 Jan 12
RAyzer
says...
7:57pm Thu 19 Jan 12
QuarryGang78 says...
2:14pm Tue 17 Jan 12
People who can afford implants should
also be able to pay insurance premiums against default of the product like any other product you buy on the high street.You would'nt dream of purchasing a tv without a guarentee or breakdown cover so why do it with implants..?Expecting everyone else to cover the cost of breakdown is beyound reality..The NHS say there is no imediate danger. I suggest to those who have been unfortunate enough to have had these dodgey implants to start saving up to have them out.Just as they most likely did to have them put in.Its as simple as that for me.