Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon Dr. Grant Stevens Comments on PIP Implant Recall

Dr. Grant Stevens, a board-certified Los Angeles plastic surgeon, discusses the widespread recall of breast implants made by France's Poly Implant Prothese (PIP). The company used industrial grade silicone rather than medical grade silicone in implants, which reportedly have a high rate of rupturing.

Marina Del Rey, California (January 2012) – News of a widespread recall of France's Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) breast implants sent shockwaves through Europe and other countries when it was reported that these implants were manufactured with substandard silicone and have a high rate of rupturing. Dr. Grant Stevens, a board-certified Los Angeles plastic surgeon at Marina Plastic Surgery, notes that PIP has had problems for some time.

"PIP has been under a cloud for quite a while," Dr. Stevens says. "I warned that PIP silicone implants had documented problems as early as 2005, detailing this in a paper." www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16772913

A second paper that Dr. Stevens authored, also published in 2005, dramatically documents cosmetic deformity and deflation of the PIP silicone implants. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16874200

Dr. Stevens revealed that PIP company officials asked him not to report these studies. Therefore, he said, "This recent news of corporate corruption, contaminated silicone and a possible increased risk of cancer does not surprise me at all."