Should or shouldn’t PIP brand breast prostheses be removed? Contrary to the information heard this morning, the decision will not be taken until the end of this week, when the National Cancer Institute (Inca), to which the Ministry of Health has entrusted an expert mission, will return the work. of its working group.
To date, 2 patients with PIP prostheses have died and 8 cases of cancer have been detected. If the decision to remove the implants is formalized, it will affect around 30,000 women with breast implants that may be defective.
Whatever decision the health authorities take, there is no need to panic: no need to spoil the end of the year celebrations! From a practical point of view, the urgency is above all to contact your plastic surgeon to discuss your desire to remove the prosthesis and to arrange an appointment.
Removing prostheses: a simple operation
For Prof. Lantieri, member of the PIP breast prosthesis monitoring committee, general removal is only a matter of organization and should not pose a problem: “We know that removing prostheses in a preventive manner is a simple operation, which takes half an hour and can even be done on an outpatient basis. Whereas when a prosthesis is ruptured, it can be much more complex “he explained on the air of a national radio station.
Removal of prostheses: is it reimbursed?
Valérie Pécresse, government spokesperson, confirmed this: all women with PIP implants will be reimbursed for medical and surgical costs related to explanting their prostheses. But all those who wish to have new prostheses implanted instead, will have to put their hand in the wallet.
Aware of the difficulty for some patients to finance a new surgery, Dr Bruno Alfandary, president of the union of plastic surgeons, announced that the profession is currently considering the possibility of displaying a kind of “user fee” acceptable by patients.
Breast implants: recommendations for follow-up
For the time being, and pending new decisions from the health authorities, the follow-up recommendations (recalled during the first follow-up meeting for women with PIP breast prostheses, on December 14), are as follows:
– A clinical examination and an ultrasound every 6 months, targeting for each of these examinations the breasts and axillary lymph nodes.
– Any rupture, suspicion of rupture or oozing of a prosthesis must lead to its explantation, as well as that of the second prosthesis, even if the latter is not ruptured.
– A preventive explantation of this prosthesis even without clinical sign of deterioration of the implant must be discussed with the women concerned.
And to answer questions on this subject, the health authorities recall that a toll-free number has been set up: 0800 636 636 . Open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
