NGO opens advisory centre for women with PIP implants

Prague, Jan 15 (CTK) - The Czech Alliance of Women with Breast Cancer has opened the Mamma Problem 2012 advisory centre for oncological patients with the PIP breast implants who are considering their replacement, Eva Knappova, from the NGO, has told CTK.

The organisation has also called on Health Minister Leos Heger (TOP 09) to reform the system to prevent import of bad-quality products.

Some 2000 women have received the French PIP implants in the Czech Republic. Health insurers covered the surgery of about 500 women who received implants after the breast tumour ablation.

The Alliance is addressing experts who will secure a high-quality care of these women all over the Czech Republic.

Knappova pointed out that oncological patients had been harmed twice. First they had to overcome a serious disease and undergo a breast ablation and then they decided to undergo a breast reconstruction to get rid of their handicap, she added.

"Now they have felt a shock and are ahead of another operation. We hope that health insurers will cover it. However, no one has said yet who will compensate these women and their families for their psychological damage," she said.

Heger said health insurance companies should pay the removal of PIP breast implants if they cause the women serious problems in all case even if they bought them for cosmetic reasons.

In the case of women after breast cancer, health insurers should pay both the removal of the implant and a new one, he said.

However, lawyer Pavel Sustek questioned this procedure in the daily Mlada fronta Dnes.

He said under law the respective health care facility, in these case a plastic surgery clinic, where the operation was performed is responsible for the implant. The women could also sue the clinics, claiming compensation for the pain they will have to suffer, Sustek said.

The PIP implant was the only type covered by health care insurance in the case of breast reconstruction after the ablation of breast tumour. These patients could not even pay themselves for a better implant.

Heger said he counts with including better breast implants among extras, that is the women would pay the difference between the costs of the regularly used and the better ones.

The Austrian press has reported that some Austrian women received PIP implants in the Czech Republic since they underwent a plastic surgery at Czech clinics over lower prices.

The French association for drug control AFFSAPS warned of the PIP implants' possible ruptures and consequent health complications late last year.

In reaction to it, the Czech distributor in cooperation with the Czech Drugs Control Institute (SUKL) conveyed the warning to Czech health facilities that stopped using the implants.