PIP Breast Implants Forum

• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

i know i have pips now ,after many phone calls to my original clinic i finally got answers.after being ill for a long while this was welcome news, as i was thinking the worst with my health.breast lumps/cysts /pain among other ills only in left side .

Quote:

Parliament Moderator
• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

I was that disgusted with the lack of response from the Private company who put my PIP implants in initially, I refused to go back to them.
I raised the problem of having the PIP implants with my GP who referred me to the breast clinic at the hospital.
I received an appointment for a consultation with a surgeon 3 weeks later.
I had an ultrasound exam at that appointment which confirmed ruptures in both breast implants.
The surgeon told me I would have to pay privately to have implants put back in, though she could remove them only on the NHS if I wanted that.
I was very pleased with the response from the NHS.

I had PIPs- implants from Harley Medical Group in 2008.i have had constant inflammation in my breasts and joints for the last two years to the point that it has affected my work and life.I have chronic insomnia and this has affected my metabolism and general well being gaining weight and being unable to exercise use stairs etc putting a strain on my already inflamed knee joints to the point where I have had to have debridement to try and give me more ability.Before the PIPs I was an active woman who had no health issues at all .I have had tests for RA but they are negative however my blood shows chronic inflammatory markers.I have approached HMG but they are not interested unless I travel 45 miles and pay several hundred pounds for an MRI to prove what I already have on my medical notes.Needless to say I am booked to have them removed with another clinic which has never used pips.

My clinic refused to give me an appointment as they prioritised patients with ruptures. I went to see my GP who was lovely and very sympathetic. I was referred to breast clinic. My experience there was very different. They were horrible to me . They told me I should take problems up with clinic not them and that they were there for women with breast cancer symptoms implying I was taking valuable appointment away from a cancer patient . I was refused a scan at first but on examination I had some slight thickening on left side so had an ultra sound on that side but only an area the size of a 50p . I was kept waiting three hours at the clinic and found them very rude. I ended up paying privately for an MRI scan

Quote:

Parliament Moderator
• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

For a number of years I have experienced a horrid burning sensation in my breasts, so much so I end up having to hold them to ease the pain until it subsides. It's only now after having them removed and learning I had a gel bleed in each breast that I realise this must have been due to the leakage as I now no longer experience this type of pain.

Quote:

Parliament Moderator
• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

Yes they looks misshapen - saggy and one looked slightly smaller than the other.

I had my 5 year check up with the private clinic and mentioned this to them and they said they were fine but I could have a nipple lift at the cost of around 5K.

I have since found out that one of them was ruptured and one had a gel bleed when I had my scan in January 2012. I suspect they were ruptured when I visited the clinic at my 5 year check up.

I am infuriated that they did not pick up on this or notify me at my appointment that I had PIP implants as they would have known the MHRA recalled them by then as I am now over 6 years which makes it harder to make a legal case against the clinic.

My GP checked my breasts also and did not think there was a problem. This is the point - you cannot tell unless you have an MRI or they open you up!

Yes, I have ruptures in both, constant aching feeling in my armpits. I also get shooting pains.

yes i have been telling my gp for the last 2 years that i have lumps and pains in my arm pits and shooting pains down my arms, my gp said it will be nerves in my neck, i also went with massive shooting pains in the sides of both breasts and i was again told this was back trouble, since the pip scandal broke i went back he again examined my breasts and i was told that they do inface look mishapen and flat one bigger than the other and obvious ripples, i was eventually refered for an mri which has confirmed that i have folds in the implant and prominent axillary nodes, i still suffer pain, i can not afford surgery.

I started to have problems about 3 years ao, with pain in one breast. In the last 1 1/2 years I had pins and needles in my arms from shoulders to my hands. And stabbing pain in my breast.

I spoke to my GP who said that she couldnt 'feel' anything and to wear a bra day and night for support.

[s][/s]

Quote:

Parliament Moderator
• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

I contacted Transform in January 2012 regarding PIP implants. I knew I had been implanted with these not once but twice as I had all the paperwork. I had to contact them to go through the process so I could be seen by a surgeon. I was contatced by Transform at the end of Feb 2012 and was informed that I did have PIP implants and that I shouldnt be concerned! I was asked what I wanted to do! I said I would like to see a surgeon to discuss my options. I was then told that someone would call me 2 days later on the Friday from my local clinic to arrange a consultation. I am still waiting to this day May 3rd for that call........

I had pip implants implanted at Surgicare Manchester in July 2007. That was after a consultation 2 weeks prior with the surgeon. Asking lots of questions about the safety of them we (my husband) & I were assured that they were so safe that you could drive a car over them & the would still be intact. I was also assured that in my lifetime (I was 46) they would probably never need replacing.
I have had arthritis type symptoms for the last 3 or so years if not a bit longer, I would have to go to my gp to verify when I started reporting these & when I begun the many requests for blood tests to find out why I was feeling so ill. They all came back negative.
I have had joint & muscle pains, muscle spasms. I've had little energy & been very breathless for the last year or so. I had very painful shooting pains in my breasts. I was just 'ill' but the blood tests kept coming back negative so I just got used to being 'ill'!
It was not until January this year that I had an inkling that my state of health could have anything to do with the implants.

My pip's were removed & replaced with nagors under local anaesthetic on 13th April 2012 @ Sandon House clinic in Preston at a cost of £2200 & I had to sell my car to help fund this. I could not raise any more money to be able to have it done any other way.

[www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk]

My left implant had ruptured & was full of a milky fluid.

I had my pip implant surgery in 2003. I have known about the pip scandale through media since jan 12. My doctor did not want to refer me for ultra sound it took a few trips to the doctor surgery to get this appointment. I eventually got my scan last week despite being very ancious since jan 12. I have been told no rupture but I am still not convinced as people who have had ultra sounds and have been told no rupture and have had rupture confirmation when getting them removed. I have server tiredness. fatigue and muscular aches like many women. I have had to pay private for blood test to check for Cfs and I will be paying for a silicon test to as women are having silicon in there blood that can not be broken down. I will have to also pay for replacement as the reason I had implants in the first place was because of deformity. I do not understand why medical equipment can be used in uk with ce mark. Seems very convenient for them as covers there back. Jobs are not being done properly.

I have had numerous problems since having pip implants in 2008. including, swelling of the breast, pain and burning in my breast/arms, chronic migraines, chronic fatigue, loss of hearing, loss of smell, reduced vision, constant nausea, extremely painful swollen joints, terrible shoulder pains, balance problems, severe memory fog, severe insomnia, knee pain, itchy red rash on face/neck/chest, swollen face, severely painful enlarged glands in neck, loss of grip.

I contacted my clinic about these health issues only to find they had gone bust!
So i contacted the hospital where i had it done, they arranged a consultation for me to see the surgeon who done my operation. the surgeon was very abrupt and rude and told me to go back to my clinic as it was not his problem. He also stated that he had no moral duty towards me.

I then approached my GP who sent me to see a Nhs breast consultant at my local breast clinic.
The consultant arranged an ultrasound for me which showed nothing, so i asked for an MRI` scan but was refused on the grounds of not worth spending the money.

I feel totally frustrated, appaulled and upset by the way ive been treated by a number of professionals! i have had to push and push each step of the way, fighting for simple refferals etc. The surgeon refused to listen to my concerns and reduced me to tears, the breast clinic have now washed their hands of me and told me to go back to my gp. my gp hasnt a clue what process to follow and i am left to liasion with a range of health departments trying to see which path to take next.
Along the way ive discovered incompetence at its highest level in many aspects with so called professionals passing the buck from one person to another, each trying to escape this big pip scandal whichever way they can.
All this chasing around and unsurity has left me depressed, hopeless, anxious, alarmed, distressed and highly annoyed. i am now on anti-depressants and sleeping tablets.

I found out that i had pip implants just after the news broke in december 2011, first thing i did was to phone surgicare manchester to get the information abou the implants i had in 2008 , then i checked ny breast and arms for lumps which i did find enlarged lumps in my armpits , straight away i phoned my gp to make an appointment with them got my appointment a few days later . went to see a lady dr told her i had lumps in my armpit , she did a breast examination never felt a lump in my left breast what i have had for 13 years , then she said oh they are only little lumps make another appointment in two weeeks they might have gone by then
so by this time i was getting worried considering my sister had had breast cancer and i had told the gp this and she didnt really care , so my partner and i decided we couldnt wait for two weeks to go by , so we arranged for me to have a private mri scan, which cost £295 , i had the scan which confirmed a rupture in my right breast , and silicon in my lymph nodes under my right arm . so two weeks passed i went back to the gps with all the information i had gathered of the internet , scan results , told her i needed an ultrasound scan , to confirm the mri , she was very reluctant to refer me to the breast clinic untill i told her to read all the information i had collected,she then refered me to the breast clinic , had the ultrasound , mammogram, all confirmed right rupture, silicon in lymph nodes and lump in my left breast . the dr at the breast clinic asked me what i wanted to do , i told them i was going back to the clinic where i had them done in the first place . we then got a consultation at surgicare told the surgeon there i had silicon in lymph nodes he just said go back the nhs.he told me he could do removal ,replacement and a breast lift, you could read into it that he did not want to do the op.also we got told if we did not sign a dissclaimer they would not consider doing any operation at all . that was that i decided that they had had enough money off us for the initial surgery and that i needed a proper breast specialist to do any operation on me,

Thank you to everyone who has posted on this thread so far. The Committee very much appreciates the time and trouble you have taken to contribute your accounts of your experiences at what must be a difficult and distressing time for many.

The Committee is keen to hear about the experiences of as many women affected by the PIP issue as possible. If you know of others affected by the issue, please consider drawing this forum to their attention.

Health Committee moderator



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit was 2012:05:03:16:12:35 by Parliament Moderator.

Quote:

Parliament Moderator
• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

Yes I raised my problems with my clinic over the phone and email. They only got back to me after I left multiple messages on their facebook site. My GP was helpful but everytime I was referred for a scan the NHS breast clinic refused to see me even though I had pain and lumps in my breasts.

I don't blame the NHS for refusing to see me. But Andrew Lansley shouldn't promise the public we are being helped when he knows we are being turned away. I have a letter proving they refused to see me so he can't lie about it. I am appalled that the govt did not support us and make the clinics face their duty of care to us. It is shocking that we have been left like this.

I had noticed that my breasts had changed over the last year or so. I thought this was just down to the ageing process as I had them in for 8 years. Around christmas I began to experience burning pains in the left side, which got worse during the night and when I got up in the morning, gradually wearing off as the day progressed. After discovering they were pip implants, I really noticed that their shape had changed considerably. I had a consultation with my original surgeon with Spire, who were offering free removal and replacement. He examined me and said he thought they were intact and the symptoms I was experiencing were possibly because I was worrying. I had my implants replaced at the end of march, where it was found that the left was in fact ruptured. The pain I was experiencing disappeared as soon as they were replaced, so I have no doubt that it was caused by the pip implant rupture.

After discovering that I had pip implants, I was very worried that as I had been living with pain in my right breast, the reason could be a problem with the pip implants. After receiving no help from the original clinic where I had my surgery, I decided to go with BMI and pay for removal and replacement, only to find that I had a rupture in my right breast, which explained the pain that I had been experiencing.

Quote:

Parliament Moderator
• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

I have lumps in my breast, j=hardening, pain and tenderdeness, I am suffering from extreme tiredness. I have raised with my private clinic who were only willing to help if I paid another £2500 and £500 for a scan, I approached my GP who said I had to take it up with the clinic.

I feel very worried that I have nowhere I can turn to, I cannot afford another £2500 to replace my implants, I feel the clinics are in a difficult position because the government has not declared PIPs unsafe the clinics cannot claim on their insurance and offer replacement, the NHS won't replace and the women who are victims are stuck in the middle.

Quote:

Parliament Moderator
• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

I had not experienced problems with my implants, but I raised the issue of a scan and replacements with my original clinic and my GP and neither wished to help me.

I feel I hit a brick wall, and that nobody cared about the situation nor wanted to help me find a solution. I felt judged and that people saw it as a risk that I had taken and should have expected there to be a problem. However I never signed up to unlicensed silicone. I researched everything thoroughly and made a decision based on my findings.

I had my PIP implants in 2006 by HMG. The first I heard about it was on the news in December last year. I had my implants removed earlier in the year which I paid for myself, they had both leaked. I have suffered health problems ever since they were put in including, tiredness, underactive thyroid, anaemia, pain in head and chest, breathing problems, swollen glands for 2 years, bleeding gums. The list is endless. I have been referred to many consultants who have been unable to find the cause obviously as there is no test for silicone in the body. I don't care about the money or what the government should or shouldn't have done. What I do care about is what is going to happen to me, will I ever get better, will I get worse. What will happen to the daughter that I breastfed for 9 months. This is your worst nightmare and will change mine and my families life forever, whatever the outcome. No one is able to help us with these health problems that we have. Urgent research is needed to know what is going to happen to us. We are all very scared and it is affecting everyone around us.

On realising I had PIP implants I quickly followed my heart and had them removed. I am glad I did... I did not even get time or get approval from NSH to have a scan and did not care. On removal it was very upsetting at my hospital as due to not having the signs listing on the NHS website, I did in fact have a ruptured implant. The picture for me was shocking, even my surgery team at the wonderful NHS hospital, (private patient) were shocked, that upset me. Now thinking back I did have symptoms, I had pins and needles in my face, and a dead arm sometimes. Pins and needles in the face is described as possibly having anxiety on the internet, so that is possible for me I thought. I did not really take much notice of the dead arm. And it seems so long ago I may have had pain in my breast but it came and went very quick so I did not take much notice. And finally before I had them removed I had a cold virus, runny nose etc, towards the end of the virus, I was coughing up tiny globules of a clear jelly, I thought this was part of the virus, but now this has totally freaked me out, as I think it may have been silicone!!!! very scary.

it took many phonecalls to try and find out if i had pips from a private clinic in the end i had to ring the hospital where i had them done.
ive had problems past 2 years pain, cysts on boob, numbness , itchy skin, fatigue and lumps in my lymph nodes and groin and now in armpit. private clinic is not interested unless i prove there ruptured . went to gp sent me for scan on left breast not both , they said cudnt see rupture but couls see folds... but now been booked in to have scan on lymph nodes which i think will prove that mine are ruptured , which shows how unreliable a scan really is.. as most pip woman could say.the nhs have been ok but only if your lucky enough to find a gp who cares and understands

I knew I had pips as I kept my paperwork in my filling cabinet. I had problems with burning only 5 months after implantation~ It burnt in my right breast it was very painful. I never touched or let anyone touch my breasts, and during my period the pain was unbearable. I had kidney infections that antibiotics would not clear up, swollen glands constantly, rashes on my boobs and arms~ that I would scratch red raw. I had constant viruses, I sweat so profusly that it would run down my body, I felt tired all the times and when I read a year and a half ago in a magazine of a woman with simular symptoms, did some research, and noted all the MHRA warnings I was convinced it was the implants. I was fobbed off by everyone. Made to feel like I was just a silly girl. My clinic messed me about, lied to me.

They have been removed for 5 months~ I now know that these symptoms were the implants. The one that burnt~ was smaller~ gel bleed. I was lucky that I had 5,600k that it cost me to sort out to get the implant removed. I did my research and obvously the news hadnt broke but my trust had been eroded. I went with a surgeon who I could find no bad press about~ and that was costly.

I do NOT trut this industry anymore from what I have heard from fellow pip victims~ I have my own experiences of how you are treated once these clinical supermarkets have your money.

I only recently found out I have got PIP implants, I found my notes in my attic. I've has the implants since 2003 and I have been feeling unwell for the last two years, all my bloodtests for iron levels & thyroid came back normal but I still feel extremely tired all the time no matter how much sleep I get. I have a healthy live style (don't drink, don't smoke, healthy food and plenty of exercise) my left breast has been painfull as well and I recently found out I have a rupture in my left breast.

• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

I have had ultrasound and MRI and both found one implant ruptured, my GP referred me to the public system in Australia as I now live here (implants were done in the UK in 1998). The public system have categorised me as a '2' which means I can't even get an outpatients appointment for 2 years and then when get this they will then put me on a waiting list for surgery. I feel absolutely powerless, anxious and stressed about this as I know the ruptured implant can leak silicone to other parts of my body which may not be able to be removed. Also if the implant once ruptured isn't removed within a reasonable time then it can also lead to other problems like contracture and deformity of the breast due to this but worrying the fact it becomes more difficult to remove the longer it's left insitu.

I went back to my GP to tell him about this and not sleeping feel depressed and have pain still in my breasts, pain also in my chest when I breathe deeply and he says nothing else he can do just have to wait and be realistic and not take things out of perspective it's not cancer. (not yet anyway). Wonder if he would think the same if he had the same silicone in a testicle implant inside his body. Just said he'd treat the depression and insomnia with drugs - which I refused, I have to work and have kids to care for, don't want drugs I want a removal of implants and the rest will go away. Asked him to send a second referel which he has.

Transform in the Uk aren't interested in helping, say I'd have to come to the UK and be there for about 3 months to have surgery and followup, full price as before 2001 despite faulty implants in first place. So worried don't even want replacement = just removal. Emailed the NHS direct to see if they could help as I've only been out of the UK for 3.5yrs. recieved an email back with info links to having to be registered with a DR there which I no longer am, to be refered, to do this I would have to be in the country for the referal and appointments and surgery, plus recovery time etc. As I'm not resident there it's unlikely they can help. So at the moment looks like I've to wait over 2 yrs or some how find $15,000 to have surgery privately, which isn't really an option for me. No lawyers are interested in my case either to be compensated for surgical costs refunded as I had the implants done pre 2001 so not interested despite us women pre 2001 still suffering the same as post 2001 women, still have non medical grade silicone, stress, anxiety, need for surgery. But seems to be no help from anywhere - no wonder a girl has already commited suicide over this. ( don't worry - I've no plans to do this) but seriously nobody seems to really care.

Quote:

Parliament Moderator
• Have you raised these problems with the clinic which provided you with the implants, with your GP or with another NHS body? If so, what sort of response have you received?
• How do you feel about any problems you have experienced and the response, if any, from either the clinic which provided the implants or the NHS?

I asked the private clinic that provided me with the implants and waited over 6 weeks to hear from them. in that time i found all my original paperwork which confirmed my suspicions. After speaking to the private clinic i was told i need to get a scan to see if mine had ruptured as i had been having pain on one side for around 2 years.

When i went to see my GP i was almost laughed at and rather rudely asked questions that were very upsetting i had to save up to go private as the nhs funding i was meant to of got was pulled. I had to explain all my circumstances and finallly as i had been under the gp for nearly a year with different problems that could of been down to the pips they agreed to to refer me for a scan.

after weeks of waiting i got a call from the gp saying the hospital refused to scan me, in tears i had to go through it all again the gp refused to do anything. eventually later that day the gp called me again and told me she would refer me to plastics and they could decide what to do.

I did eventually get an appointment with plastics who then put me forward to have a ultrasound scan.

I contacted my private clinic again as i had paid for all my aftercare i wanted to use it to be checked over and so i could get some advice. Instead after my appointment was booked i had them call from them and the cancelled it a few days before telling me that i had to attend on another day with other pip patients so they could do a pip clinic i was very upset about this i wanted to be treated as a normal person not a "pip patient and not be taken seriously" the moment i walked in to he building i was handed forms and a new price list of what i would have to pay to sort out the pips. i did get to see the new surgeon that had given me as my original surgeon had left the country but my husband and i was bombarded from the start. they said that my pain could be capsular contracture until he realised i would of get free removal and replace as per my aftercare as soon as that was realised it was all about the money how much i would have to pay to and nothing else i came out and cried.

I had PIP implants 2007. Probably 3 or so years in a was having pains, a pinching sensation in my right breast, sharp burning pain in breast and armpit and tightness in my chest intermittently.

General health wise since then I have had chronic neck and shoulder pain, been diagosed with irritable bladder and tinnitus. (Im 30) Also had unexplained rash develop on part of my face that got better with antiobiotics then flares up again. Also suffer from headaches, or more like a pain behind my eyes.


When finding out about the implants I contacted the clinic who were not interested and told me to contact the surgeon who did the surgery direct. I went to see him. He had a quick feel and said there was nothing to worry about.

I also went to my GP who I have to say was very good (and this was April 2010 before people were made more aware this). He referred me to the breast clinic. The breast clinic saw me very quickly and tried to reassure me. They said the pain would be due to hormones (even though ive never had this problem pre implants). They asked me where the most pain was and they scanned that very small area on the right breast and said it was fine. (Since found out the left was leaking silicone, the one that wasnt checked).

For peace of mind I paid privately to have an MRI. I was later informed by the surgeons secretary that the results came back that my implants were intact.

As advised by the breast clinic I tried to put this behind me and also under their advise decided to get them out a little earlier than I would otherwise have planned, ie, 8 year point. This was until this all came out in the media in January this year and the stories I was hearing were horrifying. I learnt that the implant doesnt neccessarily have to rupture and can bleed so after alot of hard work I eventually got my hands on a copy of my MRI results to double check this. It said more fluid around the left implant?? When I sought advise for this from the surgeon (who had received these results a whole 9 months earlier) he said I need to go for an ultrasound!! So back to square one we go!

I ended up just having these implants removed 5 weeks ago. As the original clinic had gone into liquidation (changing their name on paper rendering them unaccountable to hundreds of women but still open under a similiar name) I had to pay 4000 and went with a recommended surgeon by a nurse I know. The origial surgeon wanted 3200 if they were not ruptured or 100 if ruptured (paid 3800 originally)-maybe this is why he didnt mention about the excess fluid around the left implant. I didnt want to go with him again as I couldnt trust him and he obviously has no integrity.

4000 we didnt really have and cant claim against them being a different clinic now and ive since heard they never had insurance anyway. When the surgeon operated it was infact the left implant that had moderate gel bleed which had caused the capsule to contract and thicken so i had to have capsulectomies. He also said the implant shell was clearly compromised ad on its way to a full rupture. I have rang to arrange a follow up appointment with the surgeons secretary and was told she would get back to me. This was 3 weeks ago and nothing!

I have had PIP and have had a bleed in them.
I have industrial silicone in my lymph nodes.