National breast implant registry in Canada?

The Canadian Press is reporting that the comeback of silicone-gel breast implants has renewed the call for a national breast implant registry.

The push to create a cross-country databank containing information on all women who undergo breast augmentation — for surgical and cosmetic reasons — is being spearheaded by women’s health advocates and assisted by a member of the Ontario legislature.

Why?

A national breast implant registry would address [safety] concerns in two ways: first, by allowing health officials to quickly contact women whose implants may pose a health risk, and second, by allowing the study the long-term health effects of those implants.

Legislation dealing with a registry has already died once in Canada, but some politicians are awaiting the chance to re-introduce it. If passed, the legislation would “create a registrar’s office whose responsibilities would include notifying women and doctors of any health concerns surrounding implants.”

And what does this have to do with Class Action Questions?

In the 1990s, allegations that ruptured silicone implants led to auto-immune diseases and vascular conditions culminated in Dow Corning Corp. paying out some $2.35 billion US to settle class-action claims brought by roughly 300,000 women, including Canadians.

Breast implants are perhaps more dangerous than some people realize, and, though it seems that a registry might be iffy in terms of patient privacy (IMHO), it could certainly be helpful in other ways. In fact, registries of this sort might just help reduce the need for class-action suits in the future…