A MUM has told how she was forced to sell her car to pay for surgery to remove her ruptured breast implants – and urged other women with the controversial enhancements to act now.

Lisa Lyons forked out on the �2,200 operation after becoming increasingly concerned that her Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) breast implants were responsible for her aching arms, headaches and severe pain.

The mum-of-four spoke out after reading Friday’s Ipswich Star front page story on Andrea Hayman, 38, who also called for women with the PIP implants to seek medical attention.

Ms Lyons, 30, had the implants in 2006 after breast-feeding her four children left her breasts deflated.

But during the past 12 months, Ms Lyons has suffered from a number of ailments, all of which are symptoms of ruptured implants.

She feared the worst when she felt a lump in her breast, but doctors gave her the all-clear.

However, when the pain didn’t stop, Ms Lyons decided to take action and sell her car to fund the operation to remove the implants. The procedure was carried out at a private clinic in Preston on February 16.

“The hospital wouldn’t give me a scan because of the costs and the fact the doctor felt there was no reason for me to have one,” she said.

“But something didn’t feel right and I couldn’t go on not knowing whether my implants had ruptured or not, so I booked myself into Sandon House Clinic in Preston after selling my car to raise enough money.

“After they took my implants out I was told I had a capsular (the body’s natural response to wall off a foreign body) on my right breast which has to be cut out and the left was surrounded by pus and liquid.

“The implant was no longer whole, it had broken up into pieces and this was all a week after being told they were okay.”

It is believed up to 400,000 women in 65 countries have had the implants – deemed unsafe by health experts.

“I feel drained and emotional about the whole thing,” said Ms Lyons.

“My confidence is now lower than it was before I ever had implants.

“I think all women who have PIPs need to have them out because it’s not worth the risk.

“Think about what the leaking toxins could do to your body.”

n Have you been a victim of the PIP implants? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or send an e-mail to starnews@archant.co.uk