London — Breast implants manufactured by French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) may have a rupture rate as high as one in three, a new study concludes.
The study, published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, examined 453 patients who received PIP implants between seven and 12 years ago, and reported a rupture rate of between 15.9 and 33.8 percent.
"Previous studies have typically reported failure rates of between 2 percent and 5 percent," said study authors Miles Berry, F.R.C.S., and Jan Stanek, F.R.C.S., in a statement to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The new study used more conclusive ultrasound scans rather than relying only on physical examinations.
The new report comes as sobering news to the more than 400,000 women worldwide who received implants made by the defunct French company. PIP closed in 2010 when it was caught using industrial-grade silicone gel in its products.
"All PIP implants, due to the high rupture rate and uncertainty about the nature of the silicone gel, may need to be removed," Dr. Stanek told the AFP, adding that further research is necessary.
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