THE COMPANY at the centre of a breast implant scandal which started in France and has spread to several European countries including Ireland also made prosthetic implants for men, its former employees are reported to claim.

Le Parisien reports that former employees of the now-defunct Poly Implant Prosthesis (PIP) say the company manufactured chest implants and silicone testicles.

Concerns were raised almost two years ago about the quality of silicone used in PIP’s implants and it has emerged that industrial-grade silicone was used by the company instead of medical-grade silicone.

French health authorities recently dismissed suggestions there was any link between the PIP implants and cancer, but are recommending that 30,000 women who have the implants should get them removed for fear they split or burst. The government has offered to pay for the surgery.

The Irish Medicines Board issued a recall of the PIP implants back in March 2010 from all implanting hospitals in Ireland, and is advising the facilities to contact anyone who may have received the breast implants after 1 January 2001.

Anyone who is concerned about their implant should contact their surgeon.

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