Faulty silicone pad implanted in women

Dangerous silicone bosom: 280 women were implanted with defective silicone pads.

31.01.2011

More than 280 Swiss women face serious health consequences through the implantation of defective silicone bosom. The silicone pads could tear, burst and cause inflammation, warned the Swiss control center for remedies.

Isabel Scuntaro, spokeswoman for Swissmedic, confirmed on Monday the number of 280 affected Swiss women reported by the French-speaking Swiss Radio RSR. The French manufacturer Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) had for years delivered faulty silicone pads that contained an aggressive silicone gel, which may possibly attack the actually stable outer shell of the breast implants. One possible consequence is cracks in the silicone pad, which in turn can lead to leakage of the material and severe inflammation. In Switzerland, implants were used by eight physicians, affecting a total of more than 280 women.

Risk of space: Silicone buses contain aggressive silicone gel
Already in March 2010, the French health authorities had taken the breast implants of the company PIP from the market. The PIP silicone pads have a higher tendency to crack than comparable products and could lead to inflammation and other complications, according to the then justification of the authorities. PIP used a different type of silicone than originally announced. In France alone, the health authorities estimate that between 35,000 and 40,000 women are affected by the defective silicone cushions. In Switzerland, the number of women who received a PIP implant is relatively manageable, as the French company has no sales network here. However, the doctors were able to import PIP silicone pads directly. Following the recall of the silicone cushions in spring 2010, the French health authority had asked all concerned physicians, clinics and patients to discuss any necessary follow-up treatment.

Doctors should contact affected women
The eight doctors who used PIP silicone pads were informed by the Swiss Medicines Control Board and asked to contact the affected women. A request for the preventive removal of the still intact implants with a corresponding replacement by a new implant, however, was not carried out by Swissmedic. After all, such a preventive operation carries risks, explained Isabel Scuntaro. However, the Remedies Institute has reserved such a recommendation for the future should problematic substances be identified in further analysis. Silicone cushions that are already broken must be replaced, with the costs for the procedure and after-treatment, in this case, according to Swissmedic, the health insurance companies bear. In the case of the preventive removal of the implant, however, the funds are not subject to a charge.

Faulty silicone pillows also went to Germany
In Germany too, the implants of the French manufacturer are said to have been used occasionally. In order to understand whether their own breast implants may come from the French manufacturer, women can read the respective manufacturer of their silicone pillows in their own implant passport. (Fp)

Picture: Martin Büdenbender