In April this year, amid a growing global clamour, the UK Government’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced that it has no plans to ban ‘macrotextured’ breast implants, or breast implants with polyurethane-coated surfaces. And in spite of increasing concerns, I agree with them. It’s my view textured implants are not only being scapegoated, but by doing so we’re missing the bigger picture and creating an even more dangerous landscape.

As you may have read, textured implants have linked with a slight risk of developing a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, called Anaplastic Large cell Lymphoma, or ALCL. This cancer has been given an official name by the World Health Organisation (WHO) – Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma or ‘BIA-ALCL’.

As pressure mounted earlier this year, France’s National Agency for Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) banned the implants, as did Health Canada. So if other countries are banning them, why isn’t the UK making similar moves to protect patients?

It’s my view that the MHRA are doing precisely the right thing by holding their nerve – as any knee-jerk reactions now could be extremely damaging for the future. Because I believe it’s not the implants that are to blame, but instead it’s the surgical techniques, or poorly sterilised operating environments, that could be putting patients at risk.

And by ignoring this, and shifting the blame elsewhere, we do nothing to address the real problem…

To read the full blog from talkhealth Partnership please click here.