Breast surgery and PIP implants: The essential guide review

This slim book, part of the Need-2-Know series of no-nonsense guides, is penned by beauty writer, Antonia Mariconda, and is split neatly into two halves. The first section is about the different types of breast surgery, while the second part focuses solely on Poly Implant Prothèse (PIP) Implants. These two topics sound like a perfect pair, but actually feel at odds with each other; newcomers to the world of breast surgery thankfully won’t have the option of PIP implants and so will only read the first section, while women who are concerned that they have a PIP implant will have already had surgery and so will only focus on the second half.

Despite this disconnect, the book effortlessly delivers The Essential Guide as promised, giving you clear, concise facts. To this end, the language is suitably accessible and Mariconda talks simply to the reader, without either patronising or over-complicating the topics. This is particularly important for the sections on PIP implants, as the reader is likely to be personally affected and therefore might be emotional about some of the considerations. The advice on how to tell if you have PIP implants is straightforward and easy to follow, then Mariconda calmly walks the reader through the various options and outcomes, without scare-mongering. Given the media hype about the PIP implant scandal, this is a refreshingly factual look at the issue.

This UK-based book is very inclusive, looking at the implications of breast surgery and PIP implants with regard to both the private sector and the NHS, regaling pertinent facts, figures and contact details. Each chapter is broken down into digestible chunks, which makes it really easy to find the information you want quickly – with such short chapters, the sum up at the end of each one seems a little overkill, but provides a snappy recap of the main points covered.

The Essential Guide concludes with a few useful reference sections: Frequently Asked Questions, some of which are answered by a lawyer; an Expert’s View on PIP implants; a glossary; and a list of organisations and websites for further information and advice. This raft of resources rounds off this factual book as an invaluable companion to breast surgery.

The only downside is that the book doesn’t appear to have an obvious target market. Otherwise, it does exactly what it says on the tin: it explains the various breast surgery options and the facts about PIP implants in an easy-to-read format, without simplifying or dramatising the situation.