Thousands of men fitted with the same silicone used in breast implant scandal

The firm at the centre of the breast implant scandal also made male chest and testicle implants filled with the same silicone gel, it has been reported.

The male implants are believed to have been exported worldwide, but it is unknown how many men had them fitted, according to the French daily newspaper Le Parisien.

It said former employees of the now-closed French firm PIP said the company also created prosthetic silicone testicles – used after surgery for testicular cancer – and chest implants.

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Around 40,000 women in the UK have received implants manufactured by PIP and more may have travelled abroad for cheap surgery in clinics using the implants. Non-medical grade silicone implants have been linked to cases of cancer in France.

Some British women may also have received Rofil M implants, which were produced by PIP, and used in overseas clinics. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said that concerned women fitted with Rofil M implants should contact their GP or surgeon.

“Our records show that no Rofil M implants were supplied to UK clinics and hospitals,” a statement said. “If women have been abroad to have Rofil M breast implants, our advice to them, as for women with PIP implants, is that they should not be unduly worried.”

The latest development comes as the government prepares to issue advice to women over PIP implants following a review of the evidence.

France wants the European Union to stiffen its rules on authorising medical devices amid the breast implant scandal.

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