Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to investigate the connection between breast implants and heart problems.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is not currently conducting any regulatory activity concerning heart, or other cardiovascular disease, in respect of these medical devices. No reports of adverse events related to these devices and the diagnosis of cardiac or other cardiovascular disease have been received. The Agency is not aware of any concerns being voiced by the patients or healthcare professionals; or of action being undertaken by any other regulator either in the European Union or worldwide.

The Agency is aware of recent media coverage of a very small study regarding the interpretation of electrocardiographs in women who have breast implants. We will continue to monitor the situation and will take action if necessary.

We encourage anyone who suspects they have had a complication after having a medical device implanted to discuss this with their clinician and report to us via the Yellow Card scheme regardless of how long ago the implant was inserted.