In October 2007, 3½ years after my car accident, I visited Harley Medical Group to discuss Breast Augmentation. I wanted to make myself look better, rather than the damaged girl I saw in the mirror. It worked, temporarily.
Tomorrow, 4½ years on, I go in for surgery to replace the faulty PIP implants they gave me, that ended up making me feel worse than I ever did before.
Many of you will have read about PIP implants at some time over the past few months. Some may have read the last posts I wrote on the subject. But most, I imagine, will have skipped over the articles, thinking it was a fuss over nothing, an extra burden on the NHS, and probably thought to yourselves that young girls should leave themselves alone and be happy with what they’re given.
It’s not quite as simple as that.
PIP (Poly Implant Prothese) implants, for those of you who don’t know, were manufactured in France by a company led by Jean-Claude Mas. Jean-Claude was well aware that the product he was exporting was made from substandard silicone that was not suitable to be used medically – and was in fact made with silicone intended to be mattress filler. Yet the man responsible for making these implants, which were consequently used in around 300,000 patients around the world (including reconstructions after breast cancer), says he has no regrets, and that he knowingly used the PIP gel as it was cheaper. He continued to use the non-medical grade gel until his company was shut down in 2010, despite having complaints and paying compensation from as early as 2005.
There are many problems with PIP implants. Of course, it would be bad enough to know that you had a potentially dangerous substance inserted into your body (purely because it made more profit) by medical professionals you trust. But that’s only part of the story. The horrifying fact is that PIP implants rupture much more frequently than other implants, which is potentially extremely dangerous.
A ruptured PIP implant removed from a patientRuptured implants mean that the shell around the implant has burst, and the gel inside has leaked into the body. Awful under any circumstances, but when you know that the leaked gel is possibly toxic and not fit to be inside humans, it becomes a whole lot worse. The leaked silicone travels around your body and can get trapped in your system, in places such as the lymph nodes and lungs, from where it cannot be removed without difficulty, and in some cases at all.
There have been many women who have been diagnosed with cancer after confirmed PIP ruptures. There is no supporting evidence to say that the leaked gel causes cancer, but there is no proof that it doesn’t either. At the present time, there is no information available to us as to the long-term risks. We just have to wait and see. However, the following side effects are common in patients with ruptured PIP implants, none of which are pleasant:
- Breast pain
- Back pain
- Neck Pain
- Inflammation
- Burning sensation
- Lumps and nodules
- Lower Immune System
- Change in shape/hardening of the breast
- Exhaustion
- Depression
And that’s not all. A significant proportion of women who have had ruptured PIPs have developed fibromyalgia, a painful, lifelong musculoskeletal condition that has no cure, and has to be managed with medication and therapy.
My personal experience of PIP implants has been horrendous. The last few months have been worse than I could possibly imagined, with nearly all of the symptoms above. I am in constant pain throughout my entire body leaving me unable to move at times, and unable to sleep, despite being prescribed Tramadol and various other medications from my Doctor. I struggle to move my arms as the lumps in my lymph nodes are the size of golf balls, and both painful and visible. I am exhausted, have been suffering from panic attacks, and at least 3 out of 7 days hurt so much I just don’t want to carry on. It’s only thanks to great support and a fantastic and understand partner that I haven’t given up yet.
Chronic, long-term pain cannot be understood unless you have lived with it, either first hand or as a loved one of someone who is. The fact that this has been caused by someone’s greed and a lack of care from our government, who approved the use of this vile substance despite knowing it wasn’t acceptable, makes it even harder to take. I am grateful that my Doctors, Surgeon, partner and work have been kind and responsive – other women were originally refused replacement surgery and there are reports of some GP surgeries not being as helpful as mine.
I hope that after my operation, my pain will subside, my immune system will start to mend and I will get back to normal in a few months. If I am one of the lucky ones, we’ll see an improvement quite quickly. I am, however, prepared for a horrific surgery, where they will have to remove my imploded implants and trace the leaked silicone round my body, ensuring they get as much out as physically possible from wherever it has landed (please do not click this link if you are squeamish, it’s what leaked silicone looks like once removed). I am terrified of what could happen if too much of my natural tissue has to be cut away – as some women have been left disfigured and unable to have replacement implants until there body has healed (if at all). I am also prepared for the longer term possibilities I have been warned about, such as the likelihood of fibromyalgia and potential longer terms dangers.
I urge any woman who has had breast surgery since 2000 to check, and double check with their clinics to see which implants they received (many were misinformed on first enquiries). If you have received PIP’s, go get a scan even if you have no symptoms, there is a chance they could be ruptured or weak and it is better to know quickly. Even if they are not ruptured yet, I would advise getting them removed or swapped, as they could go in future.
And finally, if you have suffered, get in touch with a solicitor. The PIP claims are now being handled as group litigation, and test cases are being put forward soon. But even if you don’t want to go down this route now, be careful with what you sign when you speak to any private clinic – it would seem that many are adding disclaimers and waivers into their paperwork when carrying out removals, saying that under no circumstances can they be sued.
If you have read this far, thank you, please pass on this advice to anyone who may be affected, and I hope you don’t have to see someone you care about suffer.
I’m nervous and frightened about tomorrow, but fingers crossed I’ll be back to my ‘normal’ self in a week or two.
Wish me luck x
Bye bye boobs, hello beautiful, happy, comfortable little lady who went to London xxxx
I don’t think I can put it better than Gemma Went. You are amazing.
Ouch! good luck lady!
I love you darling, will be thinking of you throughout and can’t wait to cause mischief just as soon as you’re fixed…x
Yikes, good luck! x
Thinking of you my love. Let me know if there’s anything I can do. HP x
Good luck. Brilliant article x
get well soon babe xxx
Thank you so much for everyone’s kind and thoughtful wishes, I appreciate every single comment.
I’m home, I’m not OK but hopefully I’m getting there. They removed as much of the leaked silicone as they could, but not all of it. They also removed some natural tissue but I will discuss that with the surgeon at my follow up, hopefully it will all look normal when the strapping and dressings come off.
For now, I’m bandaged from abdomen to top of chest, trying to rest and being sharply reminded that when I move, it bloody hurts.
I hope you all have amazing Bank Holiday weekends, and thank you again for all the niceness xx