Twenty years after defective breast implants first made news in the United States, women in Europe are now facing a similar problem. The French government has officially advised more than 30,000 women in France who bought Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) implants to have them removed. The implants use industrial-grade, instead of medical-grade, silicone.
The implants have not been connected to any cases of cancer. However, they appear to have an unusually high rupture rate.
My colleagues and I have seen firsthand the devastating effects of a ruptured implant. Our law firm had the opportunity to represent a client who had ruptured breast implants removed by two plastic surgeons in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, VA. After the surgery, she suffered significant problems and deformities. Our medical malpractice law firm took this case all the way to the Supreme Court of Virginia in order to gain justice for our client.
This scandal reinforces the need of an implant registry. While this idea has been suggested for decades, an official implant registry does not exist. Such a registry would give a better idea of the number of complications over time, such as rupture or infection.
If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury from a surgical error or medical mistake, take a look at this free guide written by an experienced medical malpractice lawyer in Virginia.
AC