Evidence of meeting #68 for Health in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was information.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Ms. Elliott.
We started a little bit after 11, so we probably have five or six minutes left.
Dr. Ellis has agreed to two more short rounds, so maybe we'll do two and a half minutes from Dr. Ellis and two and a half minutes from Dr. Hanley, and then we'll look to adjourn.
Dr. Ellis, you have two and a half minutes.
12:55 p.m.
Conservative
Stephen Ellis Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to the witnesses for being here and giving this interesting testimony.
My colleagues talked about Health Canada requiring certain things for consent, but we know the consent law in Canada is between a physician and a patient, so that would present some difficulties. The only reason I want to bring that forward is that I think it's important that we not offer people false hope of what may or may not change. I think we need to live in reality here, and that's important.
I have a couple of things on medical tourism and immigrant Canadians, people coming here from other countries who have had implants inserted. I guess I look at that.... That's going to continue to create a significant problem for all of us with respect to a registry, which means that perhaps there is a requirement for that interim step. I know my colleague Madame Brière talked a bit about this, a card or an online registry where people could put their information as an interim step, because we have no jurisdiction over physicians in other countries and how to make them become part of our registry.
Do you have any thoughts about that? Would that make sense? What if we compelled the manufacturers to have a website on which women could then enter their information, saying, “Yes, l had Allergan XYZ. It was a textured, silicone-based implant,” etc.? At least that would provide some protection for folks coming here to understand what may happen.
Could you quickly give a few comments on that idea?
12:55 p.m.
Patient Advocate, Breast Implant Safety Alliance
I don't know how we get that information to the patient, but that patient should simply have an upload option. I really don't think it's that complicated.
12:55 p.m.
Patient Advocate, Breast Implant Safety Alliance
Manufacturers are manufacturing serial numbers. They have lists of those serial numbers. They can divide those lists per country, per province or state, per city, per buyer.
1 p.m.
Conservative
Stephen Ellis Conservative Cumberland—Colchester, NS
Again to Ms. Pratt, through you, Chair, could you provide a short answer, please?
1 p.m.
Patient Advocate, Breast Implant Failure and Illness Society Canada
I really don't have anything to add to that. I would agree with Terri's comment.
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Dr. Ellis.
The last short round of questions will come from Dr. Hanley.
1 p.m.
Liberal
Brendan Hanley Liberal Yukon, YT
Thank you.
First of all, I want to thank the three of you for appearing today. It's one thing to go through the personal experience; it's another to tell the story of that and to be an advocate. You've each done that in an amazing fashion, and have for many years, so thank you.
I want, in the interest of time, to zone in on a couple of questions.
Ms. McGregor, you referred to the impulsive 20-something-year-old. Do we have enough filters to limit or to....
In this age of cosmetic, aesthetic surgery availability and the influence of industry, are too many women being led into implants without enough information? Is there too much societal pressure? Can you comment on that?
1 p.m.
Patient Advocate, Breast Implant Safety Alliance
That's difficult.
I guess I was referring to myself in general. In my twenties I made decisions differently from the way I did in my thirties or forties or fifties.
As far as the influence is concerned, Julie, maybe I'll let you pick that up.
1 p.m.
Patient Advocate, Breast Implant Safety Alliance
If I remember correctly—and correct me if I'm wrong—manufacturers of cosmetic products, aesthetic products, are not supposed to do direct marketing to consumers, yet if you go on Instagram, you see direct publicity for Botox or breast implants.
Who's on Instagram and TikTok? You see that 20-year-old, and there is a label—Juvéderm, Allergan, Botox. Any 20-year-old who sees that can say, “I can have access to breast implants or Juvéderm” and is going to be attracted to that.
I think that whoever is in charge of looking at that particular issue should be looking at what's happening on social media right now.
1 p.m.
Patient Advocate, Breast Implant Failure and Illness Society Canada
When I started advocating, one of the reasons was that in my daughter's group of peers, there were quite a few who already had breast implants or were considering them.
To start, when they get their implants and they're really happy, they then convince somebody else to get it done. Health Canada doesn't have the right information there. Manufacturers are showing them these high-gloss images. On Health Canada's website, they should have pictures of what a lymph node with silicone looks like. What does a really badly ruptured implant look like? They should be encouraged to consider....
Lots of them are very health conscious, very environmentally aware of chemicals, but they're having chemicals implanted within them. I say this because I did it. That was me. I was a fitness nut, and I had these in me. There can be a disconnect.
I think manufacturers and plastic surgeons and Health Canada should have more responsibility for making sure there is an awareness of the reality of breast implants and what can happen, what can go wrong.
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Sean Casey
Thank you, Ms. Pratt, and thank you, Dr. Hanley.
To all of our witnesses, thank you so much for being with us and sharing your personal stories, and for your advocacy. We share your hope that what you have done here today will make a difference, and that's what we are all seeking to do. Thank you for doing your part in that regard.
Colleagues, just before we wrap up, you should be aware that the witnesses here today have submitted several supporting documents for their presentations, and we're still waiting for some translations. Once that's done, they will be circulated as soon as possible.
The plan for Tuesday was to schedule some time for drafting instructions on the breast implant registry. That may be premature, given the motion that was adopted today, but if you want to start giving some thought to what you would like to see in the report in terms of recommendations, etc., we could possibly have a preliminary discussion on that on Tuesday.
There will also be some time in camera for committee business so that we can plan the agenda for the coming weeks. You will receive, before Tuesday, a summary of the studies that are currently under way and upcoming, as well as a proposed calendar showing a potential work plan.
Finally, the documents from the PMPRB study are about 350 pages. They're still in translation. We don't have a firm date for when they will be available.
That's it by way of updates. Is it the will of the committee to adjourn the meeting?
1 p.m.
Some hon. members
Yes.