French Plastic Surgery Company Admits to Faulty Breast Implants

Jean-Claude Mas, director of the now non-operational Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), was apparently aware that he used faulty breast implants, which affected hundreds of thousands of women across the globe. In fact, Mas confessed he employed a cheaper but unapproved alternative product due to “economic purposes.”

The 72-year-old breast implant producer admitted they brought in two tiers of ingredients for silicone implants: a high-quality product and a low-cost “house gel.” In short, instead of using more costly medical-grade silicone, they used cheaper and low-grade industrial silicone—the ones used as a mattress stuffing.

When asked by The Times why they used this type of product, Mas’ lawyer, Yves Haddad, said that the company has its financial objectives. They simply wanted to get the best possible price! He even further claimed that while the implants were low-quality, they’re safe and non-toxic. No wonder the company never asked approval for its implants from the AFSSAPS (Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des produits de santé), France’s health regulatory board.

Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) used to sell over 100,000 of breast implants annually, which mostly were being exported to 65 countries. It is said that as many as 400,000 women around the world have been fitted with PIP flawed breast implants. Furthermore, roughly 5% of implants in France have already ruptured and 1% in Great Britain.

Today, the former breast implant top dog, Jean-Claude Mas, is facing a series of criminal charges, including manslaughter (resulting from the death of a French woman who was fitted with said defective implants).

If you are concerned about your breast implants and whether they were manufactured by PIP, then you should contact your clinic or cosmetic surgeon who will be able to provide this information.

The latest UK Government advice on PIP implants can be found on the Department of Health website.