Xavier Bertrand says France should pay for removal of implants prone to rupture
French health minister Xavier Bertrand has recommended that tens of thousands of French women should have their breast implants removed at state expense, according to the Globe and Mail. Mr. Bertrand says in a statement that implants made by Poly Implant Prothese, a French company, could rupture and leak, and recommends the surgery as a preventive measure. Investigators say the company used industrial silicone rather than medical silicone in the implants to save money. Poly Implant Prothese is being liquidated and the implants are no longer available. French officials say there has been no link established between the implants and cancer found in nine women who have them. The French announcement may have costly implications across Europe and South America, where thousands more women have the risky implants.