Montrealer says breast implants banned in Europe still being used in Canada

When Karen Malkin-Lazarovitz found out that she had about an 85 per cent chance of getting breast cancer, she decided to take action.

Now, years after her reconstructive surgery, she fears her breast implants may do more harm than good.

“Last month, they banned the sale of the implants that are inside me in Europe, but they’re still allowing those exact same implants to be manufactured in Canada and the U.S.,” she told Global’s Laura Casella.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Last month, they banned the sale of the implants that are inside me in Europe, but they're still allowing those exact same implants to be manufactured in Canada and the U.S.," she told Global's Laura Casella.

Malkin-Lazarovitz’s textured breast implants have recently been associated with serious health risks; enough to justify a class action lawsuit.

She said she has always associated her chronic pain to the lengthy and complicated surgery, but recently has started to wonder if it may be the implants.

“I removed my healthy breasts to avoid cancer and now I’m faced with ‘what are these implants going to do?'” Malkin-Lazarovitz asked.

She holds the makers of the textured breast implants at fault, likening the situation to a car recall.

If a car is recalled, the manufacturer tells you to bring it back, she said.

“This is something inside our body and we’re not even being told there’s a risk of cancer,” Malkin-Lazarovitz said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is something inside our body and we're not even being told there's a risk of cancer," Malkin-Lazarovitz said.

“They’re the ones who make them, they’re the ones who know what’s going on with them.”

“They need to be held responsible for knowing that if there’s a risk of cancer and they don’t yet have the numbers, they need to put a halt on this product.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They need to be held responsible for knowing that if there's a risk of cancer and they don't yet have the numbers, they need to put a halt on this product."

Many women have since come forward, launching a petition for a lawsuit — something Malkin-Lazarovitz says is a step in the right direction.

She adds she will be meeting with lawyers in the coming days.

“They should not be allowed to sell these in Canada. It’s unacceptable how the exact same product could be banned somewhere, but still be used here,” she told Global News.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They should not be allowed to sell these in Canada. It's unacceptable how the exact same product could be banned somewhere, but still be used here," she told Global News.

In the meantime, Malkin-Lazarovitz said she has full confidence in her doctors and plastic surgeons.

She noted there was no information available about risks associated with these kind of implants at the time of her surgery, and many symptoms may only start appearing five to 10 years later.