Implant ops should be free, says clinic boss

John Ryan, chairman of Harrogate-based MYA, which stands for Make Yourself Amazing, said the clinics which would not offer free replacements for implants made by French firm Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) would lose patient trust.

About 40,000 women in Britain have had the implants, which contain industrial silicone not meant to be inside human bodies.

There is currently no proof to show that the implants cause harm but the NHS has decided to remove and replace all the PIP implants it fitted. Around 95 per cent of procedures were carried out by private clinics, which have varied in their response as to whether they will remove the implants for free.

Mr Ryan said: “I don’t think clinics have a legal responsibility to remove the implants but there is a patient care responsibility. There are 40,000 patients with these implants, which is a great sum to deal with and it would take time to get round everyone, but by not offering this free service they are putting patients in a difficult position.”

He added: “There are a lot of good companies who do things in the right way but there are a few that are giving the industry a bad name.”

MYA, which has 17 clinics across the UK, said it stopped using PIP implants in 2009. Out of 48 patients, four implants have since ruptured. MYA said it had replaced the implants free of charge and would continue to do so.

A MYA spokeswoman added: “If a MYA patient has a ruptured PIP implant or they are distressed by the presence of a PIP implant then we will remove and replace the implants free of charge.”

Mr Ryan said most people used PIP because it was cheaper than some other products. He added that MYA usually used PIP products for large implants only.

“Price is important but people should look more at quality of the implants used,” he said.

The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (Baaps) wants to see increased regulation for the market.

Prof Sir Bruce Keogh, who is leading a government review of the trade, has said an insurance scheme for the sector, similar to that in the travel industry, could be introduced.

The Government is also considering the re-introduction of a breast implant registry to make a record of all cosmetic operations.

MYA, which launched in 2007, has a £15m turnover and about 175 staff. Mr Ryan said breast implants were MYA’s most popular procedure, with surgeons performing about 3,000 operations a year – up from about 500 in 2007.

Before launching MYA, Mr Ryan previously owned cosmetic surgery company Transform Medical Group, the largest cosmetic surgery business in Europe, before selling his shares in 2002, for about £20m.

He is also chairman of Doncaster Rovers.