MOTHER of four Heidi Weber is making a remarkable recovery after an operation which removed breast implants which were threatening her life.

Heidi, 34, from St Annes received soya oil breast implants at Fulwood Hall private hospital in Preston five years ago and immediately began to feel the ill-effects.

She said: "I'd been having night sweats and feeling sick and dizzy all the time and very, very depressed but I just didn't know why.

"I can't believe how well I feel now. The sweats have completely disappeared and I feel like a whole different person. My skin has improved and I'm just happier in myself."

Heidi underwent surgery at Broughton Park private hospital, Preston, in December after the hospital offered to replace her implants with co-hesive silicone at no charge.

Hospital owner Linda Hanson told The Citizen: "This is one of the worst cases of soya oil implants rupture that we have seen yet. Both Heidi's implants had in fact ruptured and were leaking a brown, sticky substance which had spread throughout her chest area. "She needed a lot more attention than our patients usually receive, and with this kind of operation we never know quite what we are going in to. But it went very well and our surgeon, Gustaf Aniansson, is renowned for his work.

"We receive little or no profit for these replacements as the company who made the implants pay all the costs. But we are very happy to perform them, especially if the outcome is as good as with Heidi. It's like a walking advertisement for our work!

"And, according to documentation from the implant makers, once they are removed the recovery period is very quick."

Heidi is now waiting to hear about a compensation claim after Swiss company AEI bought out Trilucent, the implant makers, and announced every woman who received soya oil breast implants would receive at least £5,250 compensation.

Women who choose to keep their implants and ignore the safety warnings will receive nothing.

Pictured are Heidi with Summer Rose, 17 months, and Kyle, 12.