
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — British officials launched an investigation into breast implants made by former French device maker Poly Implant Prothese.
U.K. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley ordered an urgent safety review of the silicon implants to determine the risks they pose to women.
The PIP implants contain a non-authorized silicone gel, which the French Society of Plastic Surgeons found to have a higher rupture rate than implants with approved gels. Roughly 40,000 British women have the PIP implants, according to the Washington Post.
Sign up to get our free newsletters delivered straight to your inbox
"I want to reassure women that if any new data comes to light which calls into question the safety of these implants, we will act swiftly to help them," Lansley told the newspaper. "Our top priority is making sure that women get the correct advice so that they are kept safe."
French authorities started a criminal investigation of Poly Implant Prothese after receiving 2,000 complains from women who received the PIP implants, according to Le Monde.
Authorities said that while 8 cases of cancer have been reported in patients with PIP implants, those cases were not necessarily linked with the implants.
French surgeons have removed 523 implants since the defect was discovered.
Stratosphere adds 225 jobs in Indiana
Stratosphere Quality LLC will add 225 jobs at its Fishers, Ind., headquarters during an expected $2.6 million expansion and upgrade. Read more
Abiomed updates Impella LVAD
Med-tech maker Abiomed announced an upgrade to its Impella left ventricular assist device. The upgraded model should be available to doctors by summer. Read more
CareFusion saves 300 Sunshine State jobs
CareFusion Corp. saved nearly 300 local jobs by keeping its Palm Springs, Calif., factory and nixing its plans to move operations to Minnesota. Read more
2012’s top 5 health trends
The National Consumer Research Institute predicts the top 5 health trends for 2012, according to a press release. Do-it-yourself health apps and natural energy boosters make the list. Read more
ATMs for health care
Columbus, Ohio-based HealthSpot aims to replace retail medical clinics with virtual doctor’s office kiosks called Care4 Stations. Read more