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Breast augmentation stands as the most sought-after cosmetic surgery in the United States. Its history is full of twists, and many women might hesitate to undergo this procedure after learning about its colorful and controversial past. This article explores the forgotten history and the hurdles faced in refining a procedure still marked by significant flaws.
10. Timmie Jean Lindsey
Over fifty years ago, Timmie Jean Lindsey became the first woman to receive a silicone gel breast implant, a turning point in medical history that occurred almost by chance. In 1962, this 29-year-old, blue-collar worker, recently divorced, was visiting her doctor to have a tattoo removed from her chest when she became part of this groundbreaking procedure.
It was at this point that Dr. Frank J. Gerow suggested the idea of upgrading Lindsey from a B-cup to a C-cup at no cost. During the early 1960s, intravenous blood bags had replaced traditional glass bottles. Dr. Gerow, noticing the texture of the gel bag was remarkably similar to that of a woman's breast, envisioned using it for an implant.
Although Lindsey was essentially serving as a human guinea pig, she never hesitated to proceed with the procedure and place her trust in the hands of the young doctors.
Over 50 years later, Lindsey—now a great-grandmother in her eighties—still views her participation in the groundbreaking surgery as a privilege and has "no significant regrets." Remarkably, her implant, though slightly calcified, has never leaked or ruptured.
9. Post-Operative Care
Plastic surgeons have long maintained that their intentions, especially in relation to breast implants, are not driven by malice but by a genuine desire to improve a woman's self-esteem. However, numerous studies over the years have highlighted a concerning connection between suicide and women who have undergone breast augmentation.
For example, a study in Sweden examining 3,527 women who voluntarily underwent the procedure revealed a threefold higher overall suicide risk. However, the risk increases 4.5 times in the 10 years following surgery, and up to six times for those who had the procedure more than 20 years ago.
Louise A. Brinton, PhD, MPH, from the US National Cancer Institute, states that while one cannot directly associate breast implants and silicone toxicity with suicide, the possibility cannot be completely dismissed either.
This raises an important question: Why?
Some researchers suggest that the connection may stem from an underlying psychiatric illness present before the implants were placed. Indeed, studies indicate that women in this group had higher rates of alcohol and drug dependence.
In conclusion, researchers believe that both post-implant monitoring and pre-implant psychiatric evaluations should be standard practice. However, it seems highly unlikely that such measures will ever be fully implemented.
8. Liquid Silicone Injections
All surgeries carry some degree of risk, regardless of how simple or routine they may seem. In the realm of cosmetic surgery, it might surprise many to learn that breast augmentation carries more risk than procedures like tummy tucks and liposuction.
Before 1992, most complications arose from liquid silicone injections, which led to a range of harmful side effects, the most common being fibrous capsule contracture. This occurs when scar tissue forms around the implant, causing the breast to harden and feel as if it has a concrete-like texture.
To address this issue, a surgeon may need to manually break up the scar tissue surrounding the implant or, in more severe cases, perform a mastectomy. Another serious complication involves the leakage of silicone particles through the implant's membrane, which can travel and get trapped in various organs.
Surprisingly, these harmful injections were never approved by the FDA. It wasn't until 1992 that liquid silicone products were banned in the United States. However, illegal procedures using liquid silicone are still being carried out by fraudulent individuals posing as “doctors.”
7. Trial and Error
In 2002, Dr. Robert Allen Smith patented an innovative form of breast augmentation that used hair as the filling material instead of silicone and gel. The idea struck Dr. Smith when he observed that a lock of hair had been successfully sewn into a patient's scalp without any signs of rejection by the body. He proposed using hair (or keratin, the protein from which hair is made) sourced from animal fur, human fingernails or toenails, hooves, or even from birds' beaks, feet, or feathers.
Though unusual, this idea seems almost logical when we consider the gruesome procedures employed in the early to mid-1900s. During this period, breast augmentation was little more than a series of experimental attempts, with surgeons injecting everything from ox cartilage to glass balls, ivory, and ground rubber into women's breasts.
Needless to say, these procedures were complete failures. It wasn’t until the early 1930s that scientists discovered silicone, a material that proved resistant to rejection and bacterial contamination.
6. Breast Implant Illness
For thousands of women, having their breast implants removed proved to be more satisfying than the day they were first implanted. Despite numerous surgeons denying that implants were causing illness, a group called Breast Implant Illness and Healing now has 15,000 members who believe their implants caused a range of symptoms, largely due to ruptures.
Some of the reported issues include seizures, migraines, blackouts, and autoimmune diseases. Phoenix Playboy model Katelyn Svancara shared that she was sick for nearly four of the five years she had implants, but her symptoms disappeared after the implants were removed.
These cases continue to increase, both in the number of lawsuits and as a growing public and legal challenge for implant manufacturers. For instance, in 1998, Dow Corning Corporation paid $3.2 billion to settle claims from over 170,000 women.
In fact, many of the plaintiffs passed away before the settlement, even as Dow Corning repeatedly denied any fault. However, scientific studies have not yet provided evidence linking silicone breast implants to these illnesses.
5. 1895 Ingenuity
On November 24, 1895, the first recorded breast implant took place in Germany when a 41-year-old singer and stage actress had a mastectomy after a painful nodule was discovered in her left breast. Following several consultations, Dr. Vincenz Czerny removed the hypertrophic tissue, which left significant disfigurement for a woman whose career relied on both her skills and her appearance.
As a solution, Dr. Czerny decided to transplant a lipoma (a benign tissue growth) the size of a fist that had formed in the singer’s spinal column. He placed this lipoma into her empty left breast to restore symmetry. The procedure was successful, and the patient was discharged in about a month, experiencing only mild discomfort.
At the time, this surgical procedure was not only experimental but also considered controversial, as it contradicted the prevailing belief that “closure of mastectomy sites could conceal tumor recurrence.” These ancient ideas about breast cancer treatment meant Dr. Czerny’s approach to breast reconstruction did not gain widespread acceptance until the mid-1900s.
Since then, many techniques have been adapted for reconstructing the female breast. This includes the use of a woman’s own muscle flap, such as the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap, which was first described by Iginio Tansini in 1896.
4. Cosmetics in the Late 19th Century
In 1899, Robert Gersuny, a Viennese physician, injected mineral oil (Vaseline) into the scrotum of a patient who had lost one testicle due to tuberculous epididymitis. Dr. Gersuny discovered that as the Vaseline cooled, it solidified, providing a soft tissue filler effect.
Over time, he began experimenting with paraffin wax, which quickly gained traction within the medical field. Despite being in its early stages of testing, physicians were eager to adopt the new technique, particularly for cosmetic purposes like filling in cheeks, smoothing facial wrinkles, correcting penile defects, and, notably, enhancing breast size.
Unfortunately, the solidified filler was prone to migrating within the body, especially when exposed to the sun. This caused the paraffin to liquefy and harden in different areas. This issue led to the formation of paraffinomas, commonly referred to as 'wax cancers.'
Despite the risks, doctors were reluctant to abandon the practice, leading to many more individuals experiencing the disfiguring consequences. Initially, attempts were made to modify the wax to prolong its use. Physicians experimented by combining paraffin with Vaseline, olive oil, goose grease, and even white oak bark.
Such methods were described as 'almost medieval in [their] brutality' by Dr. J. Carlyle DeVries from Chicago. By the 1920s, however, physicians started to move away from using paraffin as a cosmetic filler.
3. Esmeralda
In 2010, there were 296,203 breast augmentations performed, with around 5–10 million women worldwide having undergone the procedure. Surgical augmentation has made significant advancements and gained popularity over the past five decades. However, this was not always the case.
In the early postwar years, hypomastia (the condition of having smaller breasts) was not a priority for surgeons. The issue only gained attention when fashion magazines and iconic actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield highlighted women's desires for a surgical solution to enhance both their physical appearance and self-confidence.
As previously mentioned, Timmie Jean Lindsey was the first person to receive a silicone implant. Before her procedure, the implant had been tested on a dog named Esmeralda.
Dr. Thomas Biggs, a clinical professor of plastic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, remarked that 'There was very little regulation, so there was minimal obstruction to its being manufactured and sold.' As a result, Esmeralda the dog underwent the procedure. By chance, the surgery was successful without complications, setting the stage for many women (and some men) to embrace and enhance their feminine features.
2. Post–World War II Japan
During World War II, the Dow Corning Corporation and Corning Glass developed silicone-based products for military use. By 1943, silicone was being utilized in creating greases and oils for aircraft, as well as heat-resistant rubbers. It was also used for waterproofing and insulation in electrical transformers.
Shortly after Japan's defeat in World War II, barrels of industrial-grade silicone began to mysteriously vanish from the nation's docks. At first, the reason for their disappearance was unclear.
However, in a country now occupied by US soldiers, it became evident that the servicemen had a preference for women with larger breasts. As a result, the missing silicone barrels were used to inject the breasts of Japanese prostitutes. This practice led to numerous cases of disfigurement, infection, silicone migration, and scarring.
These harmful outcomes were a result of the silicone being industrial-grade, which contained traces of organic salt of tin, unlike medical-grade silicone that is sterile. The inhumane practice of injecting industrial-grade silicone continued in Japan for many years after the war and is still practiced in some parts of Asia today.
1. Forensics
In September 2006, the decaying body of a woman was discovered inside a taped-up cardboard box, floating in the waters off Newport Beach, California. The victim had been horrifically murdered—stabbed 52 times—and wrapped in bedsheets. If it hadn't been for the serial numbers on the woman's breast implants, the identity of 56-year-old Barbara Mullenix would have remained unknown.
Identifying bodies through implants has become a common practice. One such notorious case involved the murder of Jasmine Fiore, a swimsuit model, whose fingers were severed and teeth removed by former reality star Ryan Alexander Jenkins. He disposed of her disfigured body in a dumpster in Los Angeles.
Cases like these might explain why a man from Queensland walked into a local police station carrying what appeared to be a “bagged and tagged” item, assumed to be a breast implant potentially linked to a homicide. To his surprise, it turned out to be nothing more than a jellyfish.
