‘It’s sick to think I’d lie about having breast implants to make some cash’

A mother who was given compensation after her silicon breast implant burst says it is ‘sick’ the company responsible is suggesting women lied about having boob jobs.

Leanne Green, 29, from Southend-on-Sea in Essex, had implants taking her breasts from an A cup to a DD, but needed them removed when the left one burst.

She was among around 7,000 Brits who successfully sued a German firm which was meant to test the safety of the dodgy implants and was given compensation.

But now the company – TUV Rheinland – is accusing more than 5,000 women of never proving they had the dodgy implants before getting compensation.

Some have been warned they will have to pay back the money they were given if TUV Rheinland wins its court appeal. 

Leanne Green, 29, had breast implants which increased her cup size from an A to a DD, but she had to have them removed when the left one burst

Ms Green said it is 'sick' for the testing company, TUV Rheinland, to suggest that she lied about having the implants in order to get compensation

Ms Green said it is ‘sick’ for the testing company, TUV Rheinland, to suggest that she lied about having the implants in order to get compensation

German firm TUV Rheinland paid 20,000 victims £2,600 each after an EU court ruled it failed to properly test implants from French company PIP which were made with unapproved industrial silicon.

But it is now appealing the ruling, saying it followed the rules for testing the implants but was ‘defrauded’ by PIP.

The firm has allegedly sent writs to people who received compensation saying it is appealing the EU court order made last year.

It said: ‘As the claimants should have been advised by their lawyers, they will have to reimburse the provisional amounts paid to them if TUV Rheinland wins on appeal.’ 

In court papers, TUV says that more than 5,000 claimants did not prove they had dodgy implants.

Ms Green told The Sun: ‘The very idea that I would lie about having breast implants just to make some cash is sick.

‘So many of the women involved had the implants after cancer.

‘To accuse them of lying is about as low as you can get. TUV should be ashamed.’ 

A breast implant produced by the implant manufacturer Poly Implant Prothese company (PIP)

A breast implant produced by the implant manufacturer Poly Implant Prothese company (PIP)

More than 5,000 women like Ms Green, who suffered the consequences of being given breast implants made with silicon intended for mattresses, have been accused of never proving they had dodgy implants before they claimed compensation

More than 5,000 women like Ms Green, who suffered the consequences of being given breast implants made with silicon intended for mattresses, have been accused of never proving they had dodgy implants before they claimed compensation

Ms Green had to have her breast implants removed after one of them burst, and was among 7,000 British women who sued the testing company TUV Rheinland and were awarded £2,600 each in compensation (pictured in July this year after having the implants removed)

Ms Green had to have her breast implants removed after one of them burst, and was among 7,000 British women who sued the testing company TUV Rheinland and were awarded £2,600 each in compensation (pictured in July this year after having the implants removed)

Ms Green told The Sun accusing women who had the implants – many of whom had them after cancer surgery – of lying about it to get money was 'about as low as you can get'

Ms Green told The Sun accusing women who had the implants – many of whom had them after cancer surgery – of lying about it to get money was ‘about as low as you can get’

The implants, manufactured by defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese, were filled with industrial-grade silicone gel intended for mattresses and can rupture, exposing the silicone to body tissue.

French authorities initially said only those implants used after 2001 may have included the unauthorised gel.

But an investigation by the UK medical safety watchdog discovered that contaminated implants may have been used in Britain since 1997.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency still advises women that there is no evidence to recommend routine removal of the implants.

WHAT WAS THE PIP SCANDAL? 

French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP), which is now out of business, was found to have made silicon breast implants using silicon intended for mattresses, not for medical use.

PIP implants were withdrawn from use in the UK in 2010, but by it is estimated 47,000 woman had the implants before this happened. 

20,000 women sued the company responsible for testing the implants – TUV Rheinland – and were awarded £2,600 each.

PIP implants are not though to pose any serious health risk, but are two to six times more likely to rupture.

If they rupture they should be removed because they can become misshapen and cause pain, swelling and enlarged lymph nodes in the armpit.

The NHS does not recommend women having PIP implants removed unless they are problematic – women can discuss the implants with their surgeon if they are concerned.

Most PIP implants were used in private clinics and hospitals, but a small number were given in NHS operations for women who had breast cancer surgery.

Source: NHS

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