NI women welcome PIPS review

Published Wednesday, 15 August 2012
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Northern Irish women affected by the PIPs breast implant scandal have welcomed news of a review into the cosmetic surgery industry.

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Tighter controls have been called for to make sure that the welfare of patients comes first.

This comes after it emerged in January that thousands of women throughout the UK and Ireland have been fitted with Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP) which could rupture or leak.

The implants, manufactured by the now-closed French company PIP, were made from industrial grade silicone - a substance used in the manufacture of mattresses.

A review of the industry will look at how patients can be protected and is likely to recommend tightening up several key areas.

These include making it routine practice for surgeons to register all devices used - including breast implants - so individual patients can be traced; tightening rules on dermal fillers; and the introduction of minimum training requirements for surgeons carrying out cosmetic procedures.

The UK wide cosmetic surgery review is expected to publish its findings in March 2013

Heather Riddles had her implants removed -and replaced - after they leaked.

She said that at her first consultation after the news broke about the defective implant, she was advised of a problem.

Although her implants were intact, Heather told UTV that she had experienced bleeding and silicone had leaked into her lymph nodes.

Heather described her ordeal as "a living nightmare from start to finish," admitting that she's been suffering from shooting pains and loss of power in her arm, and night sweats ever since.

Model Gemma Garrett also had her implants removed. She has welcomed news of the review.

"It's just shocking that the issues raised [in the review] are basic standard things that should have been in place a long time ago."

She said that many people did not view cosmetic surgery seriously as being as serious as other surgical procedures.

"Surgery is surgery," she said. "These women are having invasive surgery and it needs to be taken seriously."

Sir Bruce Keough, head of the review, said that as part of the review he would be looking at how other industries protect their consumers.

He said that after the issues arose regarding the PIP implants, they had "terrible difficulty" finding out who had the implants inserted.

Sir Keough added that within the comestic surgery industry, there were a number of women "who had procedures in good faith and something went wrong and they were left high and dry."

He said that people having surgery need to be absolutely sure that the care they are receiving is of an adequate standard.

© UTV News
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1 Comments
Heather RIddles in Belfast wrote (280 days ago):
Have to point out that although I've only just watched the brief UTV interview I done fully I'm far from impressed with some of the comments personally I feel it has portrayed the unfortunate PIP victims as foolish and haphazard - I totally agree a cooling off period is advisable after consultations regarding surgery to give individuals the opportunity to weigh up the pro's and cons but with regards the PIP scandal no amount of "cooling off" would have prepared patients for the underhand way in which PIP's were sold to vulnerable people! I take this as a personal insult to my intelligence as I researched every avenue before surgery and was falsely led to believe I was paying for top of the range Surgery, Implants and aftercare! I do agree with the measures being put in place but with regards to my experience it's all a case of too little too late! Please do not tar all woman with PIP implants as uneducated, vain or superficial, we all have our own reasons for our actions and in this case we have been exploited by the Government, Surgeons, Prosthesis manufacturers and to rub salt in the wound we as Tax payers now have to justify our personal feelings of insecurity, vulnerability and depression because WE have fell victims to the "fat cats" of the Industry! Do not underestimate me, I'm more than a silly woman with fake boobs!!!!!!
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