Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP) breast implant update
02 February 2012
In early January, the European Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks was requested to provide a rapid scientific opinion on ‘The Safety of PIP Breast Implants’.
Today the committee published its initial findings.
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) notes the scientific opinion which concludes that “further work is proposed to establish with greater certainty the health risks, if any, that may be associated with PIP silicone breast implants". It also concludes that each case needs to be assessed individually.
Therefore, the IMB continues to advise women with these implants that if they have any concerns about their breasts or implants they should seek clinical advice from their implanting surgeon.
06 January 2012
6:25 pm
The IMB notes the UK’s Department of Health announcement.
The IMB advises women with these implants that if they have any concerns about their breasts or implants they should seek clinical advice from their implanting surgeon.
5:25 pm
The IMB provides the following information concerning direct contact from The Harley Medical Group with their patients:
The Harley Medical Group provided the IMB with detailed written confirmation on two separate occasions in November 2010 that it had written to all its Irish patients implanted with the PIP breast implants. We have now been informed that this direct specific patient contact letter was never sent and communication to patients was via their website. Having relied on the earlier written confirmation that direct specific patient contact letters had been issued, the IMB is concerned that The Harley Medical Group did not follow the IMB recommendation and that the IMB was misinformed.
We have now received confirmation that a direct specific patient contact letter to all patients who received the PIP implant at The Harley Medical Group will be issued at the latest by this Monday 9 January to inform them of the issue. As the PIP breast implants were in use from 2001 to 2010, it may be that some patients have changed name or address and so may not receive this direct patient contact letter. These patients should contact the Harley Medical Group directly. Given The Harley Medical Group has operations in the UK too, the IMB has informed the UK’s MHRA of this development in Ireland.
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The IMB continues to closely monitor the situation. Over the past few weeks National Health Authorities from across the EU have met three times in teleconference in the form of the Health Security Committee (chaired by the European Commission with high level representatives nominated by the Ministers of Health, together with representatives from the national medical devices authorities) in order to evaluate the latest available information.
The most recent teleconference took place on the 4 January 2012. During this teleconference, the European Commission proposed, with the support of several Member States including Ireland, to compile all the available information and data centrally at EU level and to set up an expert panel to prepare a common risk assessment on PIP breast implants. The completion of the risk assessment will depend on access to relevant data and the availability of experts, but it will be conducted as quickly as possible. More information on this will be circulated in the coming days by the European Commission.
The advice of the IMB remains unchanged; there is no current evidence of particular health risks associated with PIP implants. The IMB continues to advise women with these implants, that if they have any concerns about their breasts or implants, they should seek clinical advice from their implanting surgeon.
The IMB understands that the UK’s Department of Health will be releasing a statement later today regarding their recent review of the PIP issue. The IMB will review this statement and the supporting data as soon as it is made available to us.
Note: The Regulation of Medical Devices
A medical device cannot be marketed in any country across Europe without carrying a CE Mark. A CE mark is obtained from an independent certification organisation; a Notified Body. A CE mark is applied for by the manufacturer and once the mark is awarded the device is recognised as having met the relevant regulatory requirements and should perform as intended. The competent authority, in this case the IMB, has no direct role in the authorisation of any medical device before it comes to market.
The IMB is responsible for designating the Irish Notified Body and regularly audits it to ensure that it continues to perform to the required standards. It did not grant the CE mark in this case.
The PIP implant came onto the market via this process. The product was manufactured in France and approved by a Notified Body in Germany (TUV Rheinland). Having received a CE mark it could be freely placed on any market in the EU, including Ireland.
23 December 2011
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) is aware of the statement that was issued by the French Ministry of Health today regarding the Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP) breast implants. The IMB note, in particular, the findings of the French expert committee confirming that to date there is no evidence of increased risk of cancer for women with the PIP brand of breast implants compared to women with other breast implants.
The IMB notes the preventative and non urgent recommendation made by the French Ministry for French women with these implants to discuss / consider explantation with their implanting surgeon.
In co-operation with other EU colleagues, the IMB will continue to monitor this issue.
The advice of the IMB remains unchanged and it reassures women that there is no current evidence of health risks associated with PIP implants. The IMB continues to advise women with these implants that if they have any concerns about their breasts or implants they should seek clinical advice from their implanting surgeon.
22 December 2011
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) is aware of the recent report in France associated with Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP) Breast Implants.
A recall of these implants was initiated in Ireland on 30 March 2010. The recall followed a manufacturing site inspection in France which identified unauthorised silicone gel being used in the product.
Since the issue was identified, the IMB has closely monitored the situation in liaison with our colleagues in Europe to determine potential safety implications. The IMB advised the implanting hospitals and clinics to identify and contact women who have been implanted with PIP silicone gel implants after 1 January 2001 to advise them of the issue and provide reassurance that there is no current evidence of health risks associated with the implants.
Approximately 1500 Irish patients were implanted with these products and the IMB has received reports of potential adverse incidents from a small percentage of patients. The IMB understands that the PIP implants that were used in Ireland were for aesthetic purposes only and not for reconstructive surgery for breast cancer patients. The implants were implanted in 3 private hospital / clinics* and were not used in public hospitals.
The French regulatory authority (AFSSAPS) has confirmed to IMB and other EU colleagues that they will issue a statement on the safety of the implants but have not indicated what advice will be given in relation to patient health and the need to remove these implants. The IMB will continue to ensure that the implanting hospitals and clinics affected by this issue are kept updated should any new issues come to light.
The IMB advice to women with PIP implants continues to be that if they have any concerns about their breasts or implants they should seek clinical advice from their implanting surgeon.
*Implanting Clinics and Hospitals: Shandon Street Hospital in Cork, Clane Hospital in Co Kildare and Harley Medical Clinic in Dublin.
Related IMB Safety Notices