Manufacturing and importation of macro-textured breast implants is now illegal in Thailand after the Public Health Ministry published the ruling in the Thai Royal Gazette.
The directive was signed by Deputy Public Health Minister Satit Pitutecha on October 20 and was published on Friday. The said breast size augmentation is believed to cause implant-related anaplastic large cell lymphoma, a rare form of cancer.
A macro-textured implant has irregular shaped surface that adheres to the surrounding breast tissue, which makes it very steady. This is to ensure that the implant stays precisely where the surgeon puts it.
The ban covers macro-textured silicone implants that have an average surface roughness larger than 50 microns.
The Thai Food and Drug Administration and the Board of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery recalled macro-textured silicone implants last year after reports said that about 800 breast cancer cases worldwide were found out to be associated with said breast implants.