PIP breast implant founder arrested

The founder of Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), Jean-Claude Mas, has been arrested at his home in France. It is believed he has been detained as part of a judicial investigation into manslaughter and involuntary injuries. Another PIP executive, Claude Couty, has also been arrested.

The judicial investigation began in December last year after Mr Mas admitted in a police interview that PIP employees were ordered to hide the unauthorised silicone used in the implants when an inspection of the factory was being carried out. He told police that he had been deceiving European safety inspectors for 13 years.

The PIP breast implants are made of an industrial grade of silicone, normally used for computer components and furniture, as opposed to the more expensive medical grade silicone found in other implants. Various countries in Europe and Latin America have advised women who have had the implants fitted to have them removed. However, the UK government has only advised removal if the PIP implants are actually causing problems such as pain or tenderness. The NHS has pledged to perform the implant removal surgery for any woman in Northern Ireland who has had them fitted, but will only replace them if the implants were initially fitted for health reasons.

If you live in Northern Ireland and have had PIP implants fitted you should speak to your doctor to consider your options. You should also speak to a solicitor for legal advice on bringing a compensation claim. You can contact one of the claims solicitors at Wilson Nesbitt specialising in medical negligence and product defects by calling 0800 840 9289.

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