Seek advice if you have had breast implants, women urged

Star: PETALING JAYA: Women who had undergone plastic surgery for breast implants and facial fillers have been told to consult their surgeons and seek advice following a health scare involving such procedures in Europe.
The French-made Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) implants which is currently embroiled in a scandal in Europe are not used for cosmetic surgery in Malaysia, but at the same time, there were no statistics for breast implants in the country.
Health director-general Datuk Seri Dr Hasan Abdul Rahman said the ministry do not have statistics on Malaysian women who have had breast implants.
“It's hard to keep track of those who have had breast implants since most of them go abroad, like Thailand, to get it done as it is cheaper. Some may also go to unauthorised beauticians,” he said yesterday.
A safety notice had been posted in the division's website urging women to continue to routinely monitor their implants and to consult their surgeons if they had any concerns.
“Specialists or centres which made use of PIP implants are advised to contact the ministry's Medical Devices Control Division. The ministry will also inform the public on this issue from time to time,” he said.
In the notice, the division urged implant users to provide relevant information including the name of the healthcare centre, contact person, number and name of the suppliers.
Currently, no local authorised representative for the product had been identified based on the registered medical device establishment listing in Malaysia.
Dr Hasan said that presently, only two products were listed in their database, none of which were PIP.
“However, an assessment on safety and performance will be carried out once the Medical Device Act 2011 is enforced,” he said.
The scandal in Europe erupted after the now-defunct manufacturer in southern France shut down after it was found using substandard, industrial-grade silicone gel.