Paris — Health authorities in France have ordered a French-manufactured breast implant off the market after discovering the manufacturer misreported the type of silicone used to make it, the Associated Press reports.
The implants were manufactured by Poly Implant Prothese, or PIP, which specializes in silicone implants. The company’s Web site says it exports its products to 66 countries.
AFSSAPS, France’s health-regulatory agency, was investigating PIP offices after an increase in cases of ruptured implants, according to the AP. Investigators discovered that the company was using a silicone gel “different than the one that was reported when it was put on the market,” according to news reports.
The agency recalled the implants and recommended that women who have such implants see their surgeons and get annual ultrasounds.
According to AFSSAPS, the implants do not appear to cause “different complications than those usually seen with other types of breast implants pre-filled with silicone gel,” but the agency reported a “higher frequency of rupture and local inflammatory reactions.”
