Pages

Friday 23 December 2011

Interpol Seek Arrest Of Breast Implant Boss

Interpol is seeking the arrest of the founder of a French company responsible for making breast implants which have sparked a health scare, according to reports.  
The international police organisation says it wants to track down Jean-Claude Mas, the founder of Poly Implant Prostheses (PIP).
The 72-year-old is listed as being wanted in Costa Rica for offences concerning "life and health". 
The move comes as the British Government says it is not intending to follow France and advise women with the suspect implants to have them removed.
Around 30,000 French women were advised to have breast implants manufactured by PIP removed following fears over possible health risks.
Authorities there have, however, continued to stress there is no confirmed link to cancer.
More than 40,000 women in the UK are thought to have the PIP implants, which have been linked to eight cases of cancer in France.
French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said they had found no evidence of any increased risk of the disease.
However, he said there was still a risk the implants could rupture and leak silicone gel and recommended that women with the implants should have them taken out as "a preventive measure, not of an urgent nature".
The French government has said it will pay for women to have the implants removed.
It will not pay for new implants unless the treatment was part of reconstructive surgery for breast cancer patients.
PIP implants were banned last year after they were found to contain non-medical grade silicone gel, intended for use in mattresses, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).
But UK regulators have insisted there is no evidence to support routine removal of the implants, and no evidence of a link to cancer.
Speaking to Sky News, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "It is clear there is no evidence of a link with cancer.
"Our agency the healthcare regulatory agency has done tests to establish whether there are any toxic effects related to these implants and there are none, so we have no safety concerns and in this country we have not seen a rupture rate with these implants that is substantially higher than other implants.
"On that basis, our advice is that we do not need the routine removal of these implants, but of course if any woman is worried we would suggest that they speak to their surgeon."
Chief medical officer Dame Sally Davies echoed his words, saying: "Women with PIP implants should not be unduly worried.
"We have no evidence of a link to cancer or an increased risk of rupture. If women are concerned, they should speak to their surgeon."
More than 270 women in the UK intend to sue the clinics where they were fitted with PIP implants - the company itself has since been closed down.
Solicitor Mark Harvey, who represents more than 250 women with the implants, said some of his clients had complained of inflammation, fatigue and fibromyalgia, a muscoskeletal pain disorder.
He welcomed the French decision to recommend removal of the implants, saying: "We have said all along that is what should happen.
"We are pleased there is no cancer link, but cross with the way this has been handled as it has caused panic."
"As far as we are concerned we should follow suit in this country, but my view is the Government should order the clinics to remove and replace the implants at their cost and not the tax-payers'."
"A number of the clinics went into administration when this blew up and are not around so in that respect the Government will have to step in, but the reality is there is still a large number of clinics out there that are still trading and they are saying if you want the implants removed and replaced you will have to pay for them all over again."
Melanie Schilling had PIP breast implants three years ago. She told Sky News she suffers from terrible burning pains and is having her implants removed, but she wants to raise awareness of the potential problems for women with PIP implants.
She said: "I did every piece of research that I needed to do and at the end of the day I was told they were safe and there is no concern.
"I checked my surgeon out, the clinic out, everything. Because it has been said that there are links to cancer, that is the main worry, that is the main fear. I have three children and I cannot afford to take a risk."
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA), the UK regulator, said it had discussed the issue with health and regulatory experts in France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Denmark and Malta and that all had agreed there was no evidence of any increase in incidents of cancer associated with PIP implants

No comments:

Post a Comment