Breast implants register trial

Regulation in the cosmetic surgery field has been long overdue and the government has finally announced a trial register for all breast implants, to start data capture in this field. The stream of botched boob jobs featured in the press and the recent PIP implant scandal, have highlighted the need for greater diligence in a booming industry.

When it was discovered that PIP implants had a higher than normal rupture rate, women who had breast implants since the company was in business were keen to find out if they had received a PIP product. But the shocking truth was that accurate records had not been kept at all establishments; under current rules, it is a procedure that is not deemed to have a medical purpose, so documenting it isn’t a legal requirement.

While ministers and the press demonised all surgeons, and brandished cosmetic surgery a “cowboy industry”, in fact many private firms were diligent, but poor record-keeping by less-reputable companies who jumped on the booming bandwagon, left many women not knowing if they were at risk.

Following the PIP scandal, a review of the process was led by NHS England’s medical director, Sir Bruce Keogh. The findings recommend, among other things, that the type of implant used in all breast surgeries is noted in the same way that other routine operations are currently recorded. Had this process been in practice previously, it would have been easy to identify women with PIP implants when it was discovered that they posed health risks and those impacted could have been quickly contacted and treated accordingly.

The register will be trialled by the NHS and some private companies in England and, if successful, could pave the way for a compulsory register to track all breast implant surgeries nationwide. The move was welcomed by the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), although the organisation is frustrated the action has taken so long.

Chair of Professional Standards, Tim Goodacre, warns that the proposal must be continued beyond the initial trial: “In order to protect all women and avoid any future health scares it must quickly become a permanent infrastructure that all cosmetic providers have to use.” The good news is that the recommendations don’t just stop at the register.

The popularity and availability of breast augmentation has also led to irresponsible behaviour by some companies offering buy-one-get-one-free procedures, or competitions encouraging men to win an operation for their girlfriend. Along with the breast implant register, the Department of Health will be working with the Advertising Standards Agency to tackle such irresponsible marketing.

Although it might be taking some time, these first steps are crucial to improve practices in cosmetic surgery, and provides hope that women can feel confident about breast surgery, as well as other aesthetic procedures, in the future.