The government assured women that trilucent breast implants were completely safe. But it is now believed they may cause cancer and have been withdrawn from use.Tracie Beardsley talks to one sufferer whose dream breasts became a nightmare

Angie Brown from Southampton was delighted with her new, voluptuous shape. The mother-of-two from Maybush saved up for four years to raise the £3,400 to undergo a breast implant operation which transformed her size 34A breast to a C cup. But just three years after the operation, Angie had to go under the surgeon's knife again to have the trilucent implants removed because it was discovered they were potentially carcinogenic.

Last year, the Medical Devices Agency announced that trilucent breast implants might increase the risk of cancer or cause danger to unborn babies. New tests on the implants made of soya bean oil revealed that when the oil deteriorates, it creates toxic substances, which can damage DNA and cause cancer if the implant leaks or burst.

Angie's breast enhancement was carried out at Chalybeate hospital in Southampton where she was strongly advised to have trilucent implants. Angie said: "I had thought long and hard about having cosmetic surgery. I went through lots of paperwork and read all I could about it. I did look into it as it took me so long to save the money for the operation. At the end of the day, I didn't want to have something I wasn't happy with."

Initially Angie was delighted with her new fuller, figure. "There was no discomfort or problems. I felt wonderful and confident. I felt like a lady again." But her new-found happiness was short lived. It was while on holiday in Crete that Angie heard the worrying news about the danger of soya implants.

"It was all over the papers. I was devastated. It just ruined my holiday and I was so worried about flying back home because all the papers were saying about how the implants were leaking really fast. I had to sit there and wait for my holiday to be over before I could do something about it."

Angie wasn't the only one concerned. Her worried mum had saved her daughter details of a medical helpline that she called as soon as her plane touched down. "I was told that I would have to get the implants removed because there was a strong likelihood they could be harmful to me. I felt so angry and cheated. I'd done all my homework, been advised to have a certain type of implant and then discovered it wasn't safe!"

The second operation was carried out free of charge but this didn't make things any easier for Angie. "It was really very traumatic. To have to go through a second operation, knowing what you went through the first time is very, very frightening. I have a blood disorder too. I was lucky to get a cancellation so only had to wait two months for the operation but during that time, I felt so sick with worry."

Although Angie is now free of the potentially dangerous trilucent implants, she is disappointed with her new silicone breasts. " I've had my implants replaced by something I didn't want in the first place. This was upsetting too as I'd heard lots of worrying things about this type of implant and models like Pamela Anderson had them removed because they thought they weren't any good.

" I'm not at all happy with these silicone ones - they are a totally different shape and a bit lumpy because I've got such thin skin. They don't feel at all natural - just like someone put them there. I've also lost a lot of sensation in my breasts."

So did she ever think it would just be better to go back to what nature gave her in the first place? "I did but I'd been used to bigger breast for three years and I felt like I'd go all saggy and look like I'd had 20 kids, not two! Some people have said to me: "Well, you chose to have it done - that's the chance you've got to take.

"But there shouldn't be any chance involved. I was reassured that everything would be all right and it wasn't. I was assured it was safe, tests had been done and if the implants should leak, there was no problem because it was all natural. The only risk flagged up was that my body might reject the implants and I was prepared for that. These implants should never have gone on the market until more was known about their long-term safety. I feel like the medical companies who make the implants have used me and other women as human guinea pigs."

Angie is claiming compensation for her cosmetic surgery blunder with the help of Paris Smith & Randall Solicitors in Southampton. She stands to receive in excess of £5,000. "I'd would have preferred to not have all the worry instead of the money," she says. "When I do get it, I'm going on holiday again so I can enjoy it without worrying about what is going on inside my body."