Committees

PIP breast implants and regulation of cosmetic interventions

Inquiry

Between 2001 and 2009 approximately 40,000 women in the UK received PIP breast implants that could have been made of non-medical grade silicone gel. 3,000 of the women received their implants on the NHS, in the vast majority of cases as part of reconstructive surgery following mastectomy. It is estimated that PIP implants accounted for approximately 1 in 7 implants fitted in the UK during that time. To date, some 478 adverse incident reports (e.g. reports of ruptures) have been received by the MHRA.

French, German and Dutch health authorities all recommended that women fitted with banned PIP implants should have them removed as a precaution.