Horror of Boob Op Victims - Eeken

[Guest guest]

USSW NEWS

United Silicone Survivors of the World

February / March 1997

Offical Journal - International Circulation

Horror of the Boob Op Victims

" Scotland SUN exposes Breast Implant Scandal "

Star Witnesses Celebrity Women - Pamela ,

Cher, Sharron Davies, a Yates, Demi ,

Brigitte Nielson, , Dannii Minoque,

Ivana Trump, Joan Rivers, Dolly Parton, Nikki Diamond,

Britt Ekland, Daryl Hannah, Tori Spelling,

Locklear, Sophia Loren, Principal, Kate

O'Mara and Melinda Messenger.

(The Sun, UK, february 19, 1997)

At last, it has finally happened, the foreign

newspapers are beginning to pick up on the horrid

stories of silicone breast implant women. Margo

Cameron of Glasgow, Scotland has been a leader in the

crusade for public awareness about silicone and its

dangers ever since she became ill after having

silicone lip injections. Margo has boldly spoken out

even in the face of ridicule by doctors and amidst

death threats. She hasbeen awakened in the middle of

the night to talk some poor woman through a suicidal

episode of depression, traveled to England and about

Scotland to appear on radio and Tv programs, and sepnt

hours and hours in libraries searching for the truth.

Margo has never flinched when it comes to talking to

the powers-that- be in polictis, or the most

down-to-earth woman who has been injured. She is a

woman with a mission !

It isn't easy to get the attention of a major

newspaper and the story has to be good and have

backbone before a reporter will risk his/her

reputation to take on an industry like the

manufacturers of breast implants. Alison Kirker has

been such a reporter and we applaud her for it. It

must have been difficutl for Ms. Kirker to understand

the magnitude of what she was undertaking. She must

have been in awe as the hundreds of phone calls came

after the first " shock issue " of The Sun appeared

Wednesday, February 21st. But, is wasn't over, a third

edition was printed on Wednesday, February 26th. The

calls just kept coming. Now, both Ms. Kirker and Margo

had the attention of the world. Faxes and phone calls

were fyling between at least six countries. From

around the world horror stories were coming in to

substantiate what the ish women had told The Sun,

Silicine is a Killer ! The paper took a look at the

ish debate speaking with MP Betts, and Euro MP

Bill who called up to say, " I've been

campaining for women with silicone poisoning for years

and we really need to raise awareness like this " , " I

am aiming to petition Parliament about this - I want a

Europe wide ban on silicone implants and injections " .

Dr. Myhill, a brave and compassionate doctor, dared to

step forth and proclaim a stern warning for anyone

considering silicone implants. " Do not do it - in the

long term, it just isn't worth the risk " , she said.

" What these women are going through shocks and appalls

me " , she added. Dr. Philip a specialist senior

lecturer at Dundee University said he was convinced

that silicone can enter the bloodstream and go on to

cause health problems. Once silicone droplets enter

the bloodstream, he says, it damages blood vessels and

can go on to cause problems as diverse as skin

complaints, diseases of the nervous system and joint

problems. " Once you damage the blood vessel like this,

theyr leak and silicones can begin to enter the body

organs in the body. Blood is highly toxic - just think

of the discomfort you get with a bruise- and when it

leaks out like this, proteins set up a reaction " ,

" Depending on how your body reacts and which organs

are affected, it can lead to disease of the nervous

system like multiple sclerosis, joint diseases like

theumatoid arthritis and skin problems " .

Featured in the full eight-page color section was a

list of " Star Witnesses " . Celebrity women who have

scummed to enticing allure of versized breast. The

stars included: Pamela , Cher, Sharron Davies,

a Yates, Demi , Brigitte Nielson,

, Dannii Minoque, Ivana Trump, Joan Rivers, Dolly

Parton, Nikki Diamond, Britt Ekland, Daryl Hannah,

Tori Spelling, Locklear, Sophia Loren,

Principal, Kate O'Mara and Melinda Messenger.

One after another women came forward to talk about how

they had been injured by silicone implants. The

astonishing thing was most of these women didn't have

any idea about a lawsuit, how to become a part of it,

or of they would qualify. Most of these women have no

idea who made their implants. Most were alarmed to

find so many other women in the same physical dilemma

they were in.

Attorney Marie Mac is handling more than 500

claims against Dow Corning. She commented that it has

been complicated to deal with because the dealine for

claims keeps changing, as do the forms for filling and

she shows some frustration in trying to deal with the

American law. One thing Ms. Mac has learned

about American bankruptcy law is that you don't have

to be broke and in debt to file. " This is purely a way

for reorganizing their finances in the hope they won't

have to pay out such huge compensation claims, it is

damage limitation " . She was quoted as saying.

Scotland has joined with several other countries

including the United States in asking for a global ban

of silicone breast implants. Support group leaders

from across the world have hundreds and thousands of

stories of women whose lives have been ruined by the

illness, financial strain, and martial breakdown

caused by illness due to the implants.

It is most difficult for a family to deal with a woman

who is ill all the time. Families are used to the

woman being the nurturing figure who holds the family

together in times of crisis. They don't know what to

do when the maid, cook, baby-sitter, lover, and friend

are all out sick at once. The financial toll has cost

thousands of families their life savings and many

marriages have not been able to withstand the shock.

Every week brings at least one letter telling me that

" my husband couldn't take my being sick anymore, and

he left " . There is another grave aspect of the story

and that is the guilt many women feel over having had

children after being implanted. Now those children are

also ill. Thi is a tragedy in many ways and sometimes

requires professional counseling to deal with the

issues. But, then seeking that counsel is made even

more difficult when the media is printing information

from doctors who claim our illnesses is all in our

head. It's a catch.

" Thank you my Sun - my wife can now rest in peace

after what you've done " . This was the headline for the

second edition of The Sun special. These words were

spoken by Mr. Conheeney of Leeds. You will

remember his wife's story from a past issue of

USSW-NEWS. More than 500 phone calls had poured into

the ish paper. Calls were coming from England,

America, South Africa, Malta, France, Ireland, and

Holland - with a flood of letters following. Margo

told The Sun, " It sounds dratic, but we believe The

Sun has saved women's lives by printing our stories.

It's opened the public's eyes to what's going on. No

government anywhere in the world has safety approved

any silicone breast implant and no manufacturer has

ever proved them to be safe. without our consent, we

have been used as guinea pigs " .

Dr. Garry of Tulane University was interviewed

and siad " It's still being defined, but there is a

disease out there among some women with silicone

breast implants " . By the time publication number three

was out Switzerland, Rome, Germany, and other

countries had been added to the list of women

congratulating The Sun on this enlightening piece of

work. Our congratulations to Margo on a job well done

and especially to Alison Kirker and The sun for having

the courage and strength to carry through.

Breast Implant Manufacturers left a Paper Trail !

20 QUOTES -

(1) " If enclosed within a silicone bag, the fluids

would tend to diffuse the walls of the silicone rubber

and be absorbed into the tissues "

< Ethel Mullison, Dow Corning Center for Aid to

Medical Research, 1961 >

(2) " ..cockroaches went into silicone fluid only,

and... never got more than a few inches from the dish

before dying "

< Texaco and Shell studies obtained from Dow Corning,

1968 >

(3) " ...distribution (of silicone implant fluid in

dogs) occurs throughout the entire body... "

< Dow Corning letter from E.J. Hobbs, Toxicologist,

1968 >

(4) " ...The black clouds are omnious and should be

given more attention "

< Internal Dow memo, 1975 >

(5) " We are concerned about possible bleed situation

as we are about safety test results "

< D. Talcott, former Dow Corning engineer and

D. Larson, Internal Dow memo, 1975 >

(6) " We are hearing complaints from the field about

the demostration samples theyr are receiving... the

units bleed profusely "

< D. Talcott, former Dow Corning engineer, 1975

>

(7) " I do not know who is responsible for the decision

(to put faulty implants on the market) but it has to

rank right up there with the Pinto gas tank "

< Bob Schnabel, Dow Salesman, in a letter to his boss,

1975 >

(8) " It was noted that after the mammaries had been

handled for a while, the surface became oily. Also

some were bleeding on the velvet in the showcase "

< A. Berg, Dow internal memo, 1976 >

(9) McGhan 10/22/76 - " Products deviates from

specifications due to visible flaws. Request approval

to release products for shipment to Mexico "

< Consent signed by - Quality Assurance Manager,

Product Investigator, Production Manager >

(10) 3-M

" McGhan silicone technology is a technical

accomplishment but a clinical and regulatory

nightmare. I understand that they are manufacturing

their own silicone polymers after a decision by GE to

discontinue sale of their product for medical use.

Firms using Dow Corning silicone for implantable

devices have decided advantage since this corporation

has a 'Master file' in (?) which has been maintained

for years in addition to an international reputation

as the medical silicone manufacturer. This means that

a precedent has been set by Dow Corning of years of

clinical use in addition to periodic reporting to FDA.

Unfortunately, this is the benckmark by which other

attempts will be judged " .

" McGhan is in the unenviable position of having to

accredit their polymers in addition to their finished

product. I conservatively estimate that $75.000,- may

be required for animal toxicological studies of eacht

polymer if required by the FDA. This included a

carcinogenic study which I am virtually certain Dow

Corning has performed... How much animal toxicology

has McGhan performed on their silicone polymers ? Is

the short-term, is it penny-wise and pound-foolish not

to use Dow Corning silicones " ?

< Interoffice memo, 1976, JBS >

(11) " Based on Mr. McGhan's comments it appears that

virtually no document safety and efficacy data exist

on his implant products " , " ....I am only pointing out

that serious deficiencies appear to exist with his

products from the documentation standpoint "

< 3-M Confidential memo, 1976, G.M. Horgan to W.E.

Coyne >

(12) " I have proposed again and again that we must

begin an in-depth study or our gel, envelope, and

bleed phenomenon "

< A.H. Rathjen, internal Dow memo, 1978 >

(13) Bristol Myer Squibb:

" Several moths ago an entire baked batch of 140 gel

filled mammaries were put on hold by production

because of incomplete adhesion of the gel to the

shell "

" I had discussed the possibility of using these

mammaries as inner units for Bilumens, which would be

sold as one time special to an international

distributor " .

" Please advise Dave or myself, on what you will

require in order to go ahead with this order, as well

as what additional control measures will have to be

instituted to keep the product segregated from the

rest during processing. My felling on how it could be

kept seperated from the normal production would be to

document on the trace care that the units are for a

special international order, as well as processing

them all at the same time as one batch. "

" Only to be used for international orders personally

approved by DHS, FGB, & Myself. Production, these

units must be segregated from normal production

(ensure that units do not wind up on domestic units) " .

" These units can be packaged (ready to go) for

shipment to any country OTHER than USA, Western

Europe, Australia & New Zealand. They are excellent

for S. American, Near East, Eastern Europe, Africa,

and Far East " .

< Interoffice Memo 12/8/1979 >

(14) " .. We have no valid long-term implant data to

substantiate the safety of gels for long-term use "

< Boley, head of biomaterial safety for Dow

Corning, 1983 >

(15) " I think we probably should start at least

acknowledging the potential for sensitization (of the

immune system by silicone). I think we have excessive

personal and corporate liability exposure "

< F. Boley, coauthor 1974 Dow Study of

silicone's effects on the immune system, 1985 >

(16) " The manufacturer and surgeons have been

performing experimental surgery on humans "

< Tom D. Talcott, former Dow Corning engineer,

Business Week, 1991 >

(17) " ...there were no tests for implant

materials....All we could do was put it in and look

and see what happens. There were no standards. There

were no protocols. There was nothing "

< Silas Braley deposition, former director Dow

Corning's center for Aid to Medical research, 1993 >

(18) McGhan-Inamed 8/1996 The Netherlands -

" Q - Can i be confident that silicone is a safe and

reliable material ?

A - Definitely yes. Silicone is a very well studied

and scientifically understood product. Silicones are

widely used in food and cosmetics, as well as in

hundreds of critical medical applications. The

majority of medical implants, including all breast

implants rely on some form of silicone. If you have

specific concerns, ask for information regarding

scientific studies involving thousands of women which

document long-term safety.

Q - Once implanted, will McGhan 410 ever need to be

replaced ?

A - The McGhan 410 cohesive gel implant covers over 30

years of experience and the latest scientific and

bioengineering technology. Actual clinical experience

and laboratory testing with the McGhan 410 have shown

durability results beyond expectations. But, like the

human body, a medical implant cannot be expected to

last forever. Replacement or revision in the future

should be considered "

< McGhan 410, 1996 patient handout in The Netherlands

>

(19) " What case reports tell us. The first wave of

reports of 'human adjuvant disease' in women who had

undergone cosmetic breast surgery came from Japan. The

obscure and medically unsound method of cosmetic

breast surgery used in these cases involved injecting

large volumes of various substances of unknown purity,

including silicone fluid, paraffin (liquid wax) and

petroleum jelly. The case reports, involving a total

of about 60 women, suggested that these injections

served as adjuvants to worsen symptoms of pre-existing

disease. It is not surprising that the voluminous,

direct injection of unkown purity that these women

received could worsen pre-existing conditions "

< McGhan 410, 1996 patient handout in The Netherlands

>

(20) Heyer-Schulte: Baxter International #77972,

contents of the Saline Prosthesis -

" Dr. Smahel was equally successful at discovering the

presence of intracapillary microdroplets. This serves

to prove the migration of liquid silicone from the gel

through the prosthetic wall, pseudocapsule and

glandular mammary tissue as well as the circulatory

system. The invasion of the blood vessels and

lymphatic ganglions by the liquid silicone was

ascertained years ago. The histological image of the

para-capsular fibrosis after injection of the lquid

silicone is identical to that of the silicone liquid

originating from the gel. It should be a metter of

concern that the liquid silicone will cause thrombosis

of the capillaries of the brain as well as the liver

and kidneys. The human body is not capable of

catabolizing the silicone. The resulting condition is

one of pollution. In addition to that, the most recent

studies have shown that silicone follows the

intercellular space, a new discovery that is somewhat

frightening. We believe that between the cells there

are submicroscopic, infinitely small channels with

eventually lead to the lymphatic system "

USSW NEWS

United Silicone Survivors of the World

January 1997

Offical Journal - International Circulation

Letter from - Representative A. Traficant, Jr.

(OH)

NEW - Breast Implant Accountability Act

January 10, 1997

Dear Colleague;

On October 10, 1995, the $4,23 billion global breast

implant settlement collapsed, closing the door on

440.000 women who desperately need medical treatment.

On those 440.000 women who qualified for funding under

the settlement, an estimated 75 percent of the women

still have ruptured or leaking implants in their

bodies with no financial means to pay for surgical

explantation. While a few women will be fortunate

enough to win exorbitant law suits, as evidenced by

the recent $10 billion (should be million) Nevada

case, this practice will eventually bankrupt the

manufacturers, leaving hundreds of thousands of women

with no recourse. As a result, I have introduced H.R.

366, the 'Breast Implant Accountability Act', to

provide a fair solution for all parties involved and

invite you to join me by cosponsering the legislation.

The 'Breast Implant Accountability Act' does the

following:

(1) Requires silicone breast implant manufacturres to

notify breast implant recipients that funds wll be

provided for the surgical removal of breast implants

which were implanted before January, 1, 1994. Pateint

participation is completely voluntary; explantation

will be performed only at the request of the

individual.

(2) Allows the notice recipient to select the

physician and hospital or surgery center for the

explantation procedure. The provision would prevent

manufacturers from forcing women to travel great

distances or to one central location for the

explantation.

(3) Requires further research on the physiological,

neurological and immunological effects of silicone on

the human body. Individuals in the class action suit

shall be included in the research, should they

volunteer.

(4) Requires all future implant candidates to be

informed of the health risks of implants and to sign a

consent form stating that she has read an understands

the risks involved.

(5) Prohibits the donation of blood and organs by

individuals with breast implants.

As with an faulty product that threatens the health or

safety of consumers, the manufacturer should issue a

recall of the product. The fact is, per woman, the

cost of explantation provided for under H.R. 366 is

generally far less than the settlement award. If you

support a fair and equitable solution for your

constituents, without bankrupting the manufacturers, I

urge you to cosponsor H.R. 366 contacting me or

Kinerly Bilton at x55261.

Signed

A. Traficant Jr.

17th District, Ohio

---------------------------------

Meer ruimte nodig? Maak nu je eigen Space Meer

informatie