600 breast implant victims opt for surgery

More than 600 women who received potentially faulty breast implants have decided to have them removed, figures show.

Around 47,000 British women are believed to have been given the implants manufactured by French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP).

They were filled with non-medical grade silicone intended for use in mattresses and have been linked to rupture and swelling in the body.

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Some 426 women who had operations with private doctors have decided to have their implants removed, with 177 of these having already had the surgery.

Almost 200 women who had the implants put in by the NHS have also decided to have them removed, with 49 operations already taking place.

Some 6,279 private patients have been referred to 120 NHS trusts, 152 of which were in the week ending April 22, Department of Health figures show.

More than 3,500 scans have now been completed, with 149 of these were during the last week.

Around 832 women are believed to have received PIP implants from the NHS by 6 January.

All 832 women have been contacted and 67 scans have been completed, figures show.

In January the government announced that anxious women given PIP breast implants on the NHS would be able to have them removed free of charge, with private firms expected to offer the same deal.

However, it said any woman refused help by a private company would be able to visit their GP and access NHS care.

The vast majority of operations involving PIP implants were carried out in private clinics, including those run by Transform and the Harley Medical Group.