One of the UK’s most reputable and independent Cosmetic Surgery Advisor’s warns of a “frenzied surgery backlash” possibly arising from the thousands of women desperately seeking surgery to remove their PIP implants in a bid to prevent rupture.
Antonia Mariconda, an independent Cosmetic Surgery Consultant and Expert says “women are flocking to find the cheapest deal on the cosmetic surgery market right now for removing and replacing their PIP implants out of fear that their implants have ruptured or will at some point soon but I am concerned that this frenzied dash will cause a backlash as some decisions from women to undergo surgery will not have been thought out properly”,
Mariconda who advises celebrities, royalty and VIP’s on cosmetic enhancements has urged the public to follow the advice issued by The British Association of Plastic Aesthetic Surgeons (BAAPS) which is to undergo immediate examination to assess the condition of the implant shell, followed by regular checks, including MRI scans. Ruptured implants should be removed immediately; women with one ruptured implant are advised to have both removed.
Unfortunately, examinations found the French implants are prone to leak an unknown gel into the surrounding breast tissue. Redness, swelling, lumpiness and discomfort are the main complaints of women who have ruptured PIP implants, many of which have undergone unplanned surgery to remove the gel from their breast tissue and lymph nodes.
However Mariconda adds “surgery may not necessarily be the immediate solution, the best course of action is to stay calm and think things out carefully, and not feel enticed by on-line “special offers” by cosmetic surgeons doing “deals for PIP Implants”, Mariconda urges women to consult very carefully with their chosen cosmetic surgeon, and to source a surgeon based on reputation rather than clever marketing, Mariconda is adamant that the consumer must “ press for more information on the alternative implants being offered”.
“The trouble is we don’t ask enough questions as a consumer therefore we are left feeling powerless when a situation like this occurs, of course we place a lot of trust in the medical profession even if it is Cosmetic Surgery, but in some cases there is a clear case of unscrupulous monetary gain where integrity and truth clearly goes out the window”. Say Mariconda
Mariconda says “My advice is don’t make the same mistake twice you trusted a surgeon to put an implant into your body once that you knew absolutely nothing about and you had faith in their choice, so do not make the same mistake twice, press your surgeon for more information about the implants he has chosen ask questions such as why he has chosen them? What life expectancy they have? And ask him for clinical evidence to support his choice of implants; don’t let a cleverly marketed cut price campaign for removal and replacement of PIP implants dictate your decision.
The PIP implant scandal came to light last year when the French manufacturers were banned from producing and selling Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP implants). These particular implants were popular with large cosmetic surgery companies who used the cheap implants to keep their costs to a minimum in order to entice patients into the operating theatre.
This recent scandal has caused new concern; the number of women estimated to be affected by the fraud is likely to be significantly greater than previously thought. Mariconda has set up a new charitable foundation launch this month to support advice and assist victims of adverse cosmetic surgery. For more information contact www.resurgefoundation.com
Antonia Mariconda
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