Aurora Clinics Founder warns of the PIP Implant Silent Rupture Rate
Appearing in an interview for ITV International news yesterday (Wednesday 4th January 2012) Surgical Director of Aurora Clinics, Aurora Clinics Founder, warned that the reported PIP implant rupture rate may only be the tip of a less apparent iceberg.
Obvious breast implant ruptures (also called symptomatic rupture) produce symptoms you couldnt miss: changes to the look and feel of the breasts like swelling, pain, burning, lumps or hardness.
But the silent ruptures that Aurora Clinics Founder warns of often go undetected; they cause no clear symptoms at all and can only be confirmed through diagnostic imaging or surgery.
In his ITV interview, Aurora Clinics Founder is seen paring open a PIP implant to demonstrate the leakage of silicone materials.
“Silent ruptures go undetected and unreported”, he warns. ”This silicone could be lying within you. The only real way of finding out is to explore the area and open up the pocket. Only really by seeing the implant and seeing what state it is in do you know whether there is a silent rupture.”
As more news about PIP implants hits the media (with increasing information revealed about the inferior quality and potential toxicity of the silicone substances used in this particular French implant brand), many women are beginning to suspect that longstanding feelings of general ill-health might be linked to such silent ruptures in implants they hadn’t even realised were PIP.
Responding to surgeons like Aurora Clinics Founder, the Health Secretarys comment yesterday was that only the findings of the governments own experts (due for release Friday) would provide definite answers.
He justifies the length of time that women are being forced to cope with the anxiety of not knowing what to do or what the outcomes of having PIP implants might be, by pointing out that implant removal surgery carries risks in itself.
Of course, it is true that any form of surgery under general anaesthetic carries an element of risk: but now this has to be weighed up in light of the increasing suggestions that PIP implants could carry far greater health risks than other implant types.
Surgeons, journalists and patients everywhere are emphasising that it is not the rupture rate which is so worrying in itself, but the potential effects of an inferior medical-grade silicone leaked into the body if and when these implants do rupture.
The silent rupture rate is simply an extra edge to that increasing statistic; numbers which, commented Chris Choi of ITV, seem like an ever-changing red herring.
NOTE: Whilst video footage of PIP implants extracted at Aurora Clinics was used in the ITV interview, Aurora have never used PIP implants in any of our own breast surgery. The video was filmed during one of Aurora Clinics Founder implant removal operations.
Aurora are experts in helping patients who have PIPs and are now worried, seeking advice or implant removal / replacement.
For more information, please see our FAQ video: Can I tell if my implant has ruptured?, call 01324 578290 or email mailto:info@aurora-clinics.co.uk.