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Andrea’s implants anguish
Reporter: Marina Berry
Date online: 01 February 2012
Mum’s fear over botched surgery
AN Oldham mother-of-three is living in fear after experiencing symptoms which suggest her PIP breast implants may be leaking.
Andrea Hornby says she can’t afford to pay for surgery to remove and replace them.
And she claims the company which gave her the £4,995 uplift and implant surgery are refusing to do the work for free — unless both implants are ruptured and she signs a disclaimer.
The 37-year-old, who extolled the virtues of breast implants on national TV three years ago when she appeared on Channel 4’s “Wife Swap” said her hands are tied and she doesn’t know which way to turn.
Andrea had the surgery three-and-a-half years ago to boost her confidence after giving birth to her three children, now aged four, 11 and 14.
Eight months ago she began to feel pain and a burning sensation in her right breast — symptoms since reportedly connected with a leaking implant.
She said: “It was something I had thought about for some time, to help my confidence.”
Andrea, of Mortimer Street, underwent the procedure with The Hospital Group, and contacted the company’s helpline when worries about the safety of PIP implants surfaced.
She added: “I was told it would cost £1,500 to take them out, but if they are both ruptured they will replace them for free, but only if I sign a disclaimer.
“They also wanted to charge me £50 just to tell me whether I had PIP implants or not, but luckily my GP had my medical notes.”
Andrea contacted Atwood solicitors, who are representing a number of women with the implants. They advised her to sign nothing.
Meanwhile, Andrea is due to see a consultant at The Hospital Group’s Manchester clinic today, followed by an appointment at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary on Friday, where she hopes to have an MRI scan to show if the implants are leaking.
Andrea, who doesn’t have £1,500 to remove the implants, said: “I’m disgusted. I am really worried and can’t think of anything else. It’s on my mind 24-hours-a-day, it’s awful.
“I want them out. I don’t want something in my body that could cause me major problems, but even if I could find the money to have them removed, I couldn’t afford to have them replaced.
“I had a lot of normal breast tissue cut away when I had the uplift and implants, and if they took them out now I would be left with two empty envelopes. I don’t think that would do me any good psychologically.
“I wish I had never had it done, and I wish I had never spoken about it on ‘Wife Swap’. I would hate to think that any other woman might have had the implants because of what I said.
“I have been in touch with other women on Facebook who have had lymph nodes removed because their implants have leaked. It’s really frightening.”
Andrea is among thousands of women who fear that their implants — which contain industrial silicone not suitable for inside human bodies — may be leaking.
The NHS believes up to 40,000 women have the PIP implants, made by French company Poly Implant Prostheses.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has accused private clinics of “not stepping up to their responsibilities” in removing them.
The NHS will remove, but not replace, implants if a private clinic refuses or no longer exists.
A spokeswoman for The Hospital Group declined to comment.
Comments
ihave very little sympathy for angela....she prob worked hard to pay for this cosmetic surgery....but doesnt see why she shouldnt have to do the same to correct it.....
please, please ,please dont ask our taxes to pay for your pastime misdemenours and i wont ask you to pay for mine
If she's so worried, she should sign the disclaimer,let the clinic remove them, and sue the manufacturers of the implants for the cost of replacements. She could even get a loan to finance replacements. Unless the implants were given for mastectomy patients, I don't see why us taxpayers should pay for any of these operations when there are genuinely ill people desperately waiting for treatment and with far worse physical problems than small breasts that sap your confidence.
Whilst feeling sorry for this lady, she was able to afford the £4995 to boost her confidence. Surely she could find the money if she is desperate.
who does she expect to pay ??
If anyone wants work doing for them, they usually have to pay for it - so why should the company do this work for free ?
They have offered to do any work for free if the implants are faulty - as would any company whose work might not be up to the standard originally expected - but it seems she just wants them removing without any proof that the company did anything wrong in the first place.
IF YOU CAN AFFORD TO HAVE THEM DONE IN THE FIRST PLACE THEN YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR THINGS LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN !
To all the above people who have posted comments regarding this lady's situation I would like to have my say also. Have none of you read what this article actually says? She is not asking for the NHS to foot the bill for her replacement surgery but wants the clinic which advised her of the "best" implants to redo what is no better than toxic waste before it causes further damage. I am a custody officer and watch whilst tax players money gets spent on, methodone, alcohol dependency meds
Just think, she could have spent that £4995 on raising her children. If she owns her own home or works she should find the money and then sue to reclaim it.
She could afford to have them in the first place but cannot afford to get them removed, pull the other one i am not buying that!! why should the NHS pay or should i rephrase that me the tax payer, its your own fault now you sort it out why should i pay for it?
Mum paid for her implants privately in 2006 after having half of her breast removed due to MICROcalcifications. A couple of years ago my mum had more scans as she was in a lot of pain. MICROcalcifications were found again, cysts, a reactive lymphnode, nodules, buckled implants etc. but the hospital discharged her blaming the implants. The surgeon denies the implants are a problem. Meanwhile we don't know what has caused MICROcalcifications etc. or where to turn and my mum continues to suffer.
Netty .. you should also ready exactly what the article says. The words used are that the breast implants MAY be leaking and she doesn't want anything in her body that COULD cause problems. If the outcome proves the above concerns to be true then yes, the company should pay for everything, but so far these are just concerns by the woman without any proof that they have any substance to them. Therefore if she wants the implants removing without proof of any harm then she should pay for the job
If you bought something that was faulty would you take it back. YES YOU WOULD. The implant company SHOULD pay to have them removed.
Its funny how one person complains and has problems and then after all these years 40000 women are also feeling all these unexplained pains and discomfort. Just do what Rebecca searsons doing, go back on tv and let the fee pay for them to be fixed cos the truth his it's just a chance to get a financial gain it's the compensation culture we live in these days, I feel sorry for the genuine women with genuine cases.
I am also a taxpayer who has worked for the last 25 yrs along with my husband, again I will reiterate the fact she hasn't asked for the NHS to pay for them, if you bought a car which after 4 years devoloped a fault that COULD endanger yours or your families health would you not expect the company to fix the problem at no cost to you? She has paid good money and has been given a product which is not fit for purpose. The company is responsible and should rectify this, compensation is not the issue
It's a "chance" you take when you have implants!! Unfortunately she was willing to take this chance so must deal with the consequences. I have very little sympathy for these lasses and my sympathy lies solely with the patients who had it done because of breast cancer.
Have Your Say
Shouldn't these companies (including PIP) have a statutory and moral obligation, to meet any costs arising from a product/service not meeting the exacting standards, to which other businesses and service providers are expected to adhere.
By shaun mcgrath @ 01/02/2012 16:09:11