Breast Implants: Deadly Devices

The Long Read: This post is an excerpt from our upcoming book on medical devices and their harmful and deadly effects. At times it's heavy going on the facts, so we recommend reading in several goes.

Silicone breast implants present a sorry tale of regulatory negligence, bad evidence, criminality, and a failure to learn lessons. Forty years after concerns emerged - for what is mainly a cosmetic procedure - many questions remain about how to reduce harms and ensure patient safety.

A brief history of breast implants 

In the 1890s, paraffin was injected into breasts to increase their size. But the paraffin leaked, and the technique was abandoned. In the 20s and 30s, surgeons tried transferring fat – also not a good idea.  And in the 50s, cartilage, wood, and even glass balls were used – the side effects were disastrous. In 1962, Timmie Jean Lindsey, in Houston, Texas, was the world’s first to undergo breast augmentation surgery using silicone implants.  

As a mixture of compounds, silicone’s properties vary, becoming more or less stiff and stickier de…