Bursting The Silicone Dream: The PIP Implant Scandal Explained | Plainly Difficult Documentary

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thanks for watching!! This weeks outro Song: madebyjohn.bandcamp.com/track/yesterdays-rain Have anymore scandal suggestions let me know!!

[@relwalretep]

Pemberton Mill

[@dadhaniasona]

Less of a scandal, but more a story about the danger of indecisiveness and lack of preparation: the story of Okawa Elementary School during the 2011 Japan tsunami

[@JaydragonM]

I'm confused. Please help. I thought the silicone implants produced by PIP were solid silicone... if they aren't filled with anything, how can they "rupture?" Wouldn't they just "tear" or something?

[@timwestlund3072]

The Machiarini plastic trachea scandal. He basically claimed that it was possible to create a viable trachea, that could be transplanted into patients, by putting stem cells on a piece of fancy plastic! He lied and said that he had done animal studies when he had not done any such studies. He went straight for testing it on humans. Not suprisingly, patients started dying in agony. In a great documentary by SVT, they inteviewed a doctor who said that he would rather choose the firing squad than a plastic trachea.

[@paul6925]

In liking the soundtrack. I used to go to ambient nights at a local coffee shop in the 90s. Brings back memories

[@nabagaca]

The punishment for this is laughable. He knowingly used non-medical silicone, leading to women's deaths for greed. I would expect at minimum a manslaughter charge. Truly disgusting that after 4 years and a small fine (small enough that he likely earnt more money while selling the dodgy implants) he'd be free.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

It is very disgusting how little he got off with

[@notproplayer3649]

That's the French justice system for ya. There were literally murderers released after one year of prison. Disgusting bunch of people, French judges, lawyers and criminals alike.

[@Kalvinjj]

@@nonanamnom erm... I doubt. I would bet a woman doing the same crap would get just as little, heck if not less, than he did. It's more like corruption and/or negligence overall that is just ridiculous.

[@lukekirkby5304]

That's how the justice system works. If he was a poor nobody and had killed 1 person they would throw the book at him.

[@mommachupacabra]

@@lukekirkby5304 (in France) unless it was a Jewish person and he could claim insanity. This has happened repeatedly lately - some really horrific torture and violent murder cases that slipped under the radar.

[@CarlottaRomero124]

Can you imagine having breast cancer, fighting that, getting a mastectomy to prevent the cancer's spread, and then the implants you get afterwards end up ALSO causing you to get cancer?? It's ridiculous how flippant people can be about the safety of others.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

It is truly horrific

[@amarissimus29]

Don't worry, they've moved on from butchering cancer sufferers to butchering kids.

[@themaskedtalker2171]

Yeah... My ex told me if she had breast cancer and had a double mastectomy, she told me she'd never have reconstructive implants put in for this reason alone.

[@ptonpc]

Profit before honour.

[@SamBrickell]

They act like that because even if they are convicted they only get a 4 year prison sentence. If he knew he could be executed for committing this crime he would not have done it and innocent women would not have died.

[@shellshell942]

I had a breast reduction and my surgeon was awesome. He found a mass, removed it and sent it for testing but he never told me while I was at the hospital. I thought my surgery was routine until he told me at my check up the pathology came back and everything was fine. He said he didn't want me freaking out for a few weeks for no reason when we would just deal with whatever the pathology result was. In hindsight I am very grateful for his little deception 😊

[@DoveAlexa]

Good on them, since humans kinda just grow benign lumps a lot.

[@Alikaoz]

@@DoveAlexa yeah. To the point that more people die with cancer than of cancer, as some lumps grow so slowly that they won't be an issue in decades. No point in going under the knife for something that might kill you at age 130

[@jennifersignsoflife1375]

This goes to the importance of doctors really knowing their patients well. When my daughter was just 9 years old she had tumor on her eye. Her surgeon asked us if we wanted him to wait for the results of the biopsy while she was still under anesthesia so he could go ahead & remove her eye if it was malignant. Because of the dangers with anesthesia with children, we told him, "Yes", but that meant we had no idea if our daughter would come out of surgery with one eye or two. It was a terrifying wait. The tumor was benign, thank God, and she recovered quickly. All patients should receive this level of care.

[@katiekane5247]

I'd be mad as hell if my Dr didn't mention that but we're all different.

[@shellshell942]

@@jennifersignsoflife1375 Wow that must have been terrible. I'm glad your daughter recovered. My surgeon told me he thought just by looking at it he thought it was fine and telling me wouldn't have changed anything other than cause me to freak out so he just didn't tell. Some people are just gems 🥰

[@dakat5131]

"So you inspected the ingredients and manufacture and deemed this product safe?" TUV: "yes" "So you know that those ingredients were unsafe then?" TUV: "We didn't know what the ingredients were!" 🤔

[@onijester56]

I worked in a shampoo factory (ironically because I couldn't get a job at BMS) and when there was ANY deviation from "purely smooth" in the freshly-produced shampoos the clumps were taken out, that batch was set aside, and the Quality Department I was in was tasked with finding out what the clump was. I couldn't tell you beforehand what the ingredients for that specific batch of the shampoo consisted of, but I can tell you exactly what the clumps were, and often tell you a good handful of the other ingredients after a couple tests. (Hint: almost every such clump was a chunk of soap-fats/fatty-acids that simply didn't dissolve fully.) So, TUV was either openly trying to pull some bs excuse or else admits they are incompetent.

[@lit_for_20]

its still plausible that the ingredients of the silicone itself were kept a "company secret" and that TÜV only certified the plant itself, but they can be bought, and really lack competent people in certain (rural) regions, as well. in germany, your car has to be inspected by the TÜV every 2 years, and i can speak from personal experience that there are some strict but also some reeeeally dodgy "inspectors" out there. however, they generally do a pretty good job over here, and i'd say that most people would trust their kids going on a playground certified by the TÜV - they most certainly claimed that to get themselves off the hook, though. other people's experiences may vary, though, and this is just my two cents on them

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@@onijester56 That opens question about road safety in the region. It's the TÜV that checks the cars.

[@matthewmiller6068]

Yeah that's exactly what I was thinking!

[@The_Modeling_Underdog]

@@HappyBeezerStudios The TÜV has been effin' up for decades now.

[@carlam6669]

Funny story: At a company I used to work at there was a computer in a laboratory used by various people in our group. One day this odd looking wrist support appeared near the mouse. It was quite comfortable and was a welcome relief when using the mouse for extended periods. But there was also something vaguely familiar about it. On closer examination I found a part number and after Googling the part number discovered it was a silicone breast implant! Nobody would admit to being the one who brought it in.

[@SianaGearz]

There's probably bits of someone's flesh on it.

[@grmpEqweer]

@@SianaGearz That would be a biohazard, and therefore disposed.

[@fluttzkrieg4392]

I've seen some mouse pads for sad and lonely people that have certain drawings printed onto them and where the wrist support are, let's just say, supposed to look like breasts. I'd more disturbed seeing something like that on someone's desk.

[@nenjea648]

My grandpa used to regularly do blood donation. The nurse would always make him hold something while his blood was drawn, to help maintain the position I think. Well once in those years, he realized it was one of those breast implants! A cosmetic clinic had given them away. They quickly stopped being used for that when enough people complained about having to hold a breast implant.

[@biazacha]

@@nenjea648 that’s so silly, at that point it wasn’t a breast implant but a package full of silicone, not far from those stress relief toys people squish on. I swear people will find the weirdest hills to die on, waste perfectly functional solutions cause “ew, it goes in boobies!”

[@flyaway1470]

My aunt died from cancer because of her implants. This is really sad and infuriating.

[@snibetisnab211]

since you're doing French happenings, you should do the 1966 Feyzin refinery explosion that devasted a good chunk of the Lyon valley and was the first documented case of a BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosion).

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you for the suggestion!

[@clementclarisseclemen3d708]

He fools the autorities by manufacturing two sets of implants : one for their QC, one for sale, then he let them assumed it's all sames (that's how he was able to sell his dodgy stuff) There was also a bit of corruption of course...

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

What you’ve described _is_ essentially corruption.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

@Lawofimprobability yup, in the end it were additives for industrial silicone that caused them more cancer, not the silicone itself. And it's surprising how often qc samples and actual retail units differ in quality.

[@SianaGearz]

@@HappyBeezerStudios it's a common and somewhat illegal practice where "engineering samples" get sent for certification that don't end up matching production units.

[@DEtchells]

In that way, very reminiscent (or prescient) of the VW emissions scandal: Show your best (false) face when the regulators are watching, do whatever is most profitable when they aren’t. Unfortunately, the consequences here were vastly more severe than VW’s emissions cheating 😢

[@scarffracker1918]

Four years is an insanely short jail term. Given the scope of the disaster, he should have gotten life.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

I agree

[@christopheferraux2864]

there is worse in France the affair of the contaminated blood: we gave blood products contaminated by hiv to hemophiliacs only sulbalterns we were condemned Laurent Fabius prime minister of the time was involved he did not have anything like comdanation

[@katiekane5247]

@@christopheferraux2864 shipped out of the USA to many countries rather than destroy all the HIV positive blood products. Clotting factors likely killed many but no one followed them to the best of my knowledge.

[@darthkarl99]

@@PlainlyDifficult I'm honestly not surprised, modern justice systems are primarily concerned with preventing future harm. Him being banned from the medical field and from running a company, (combined with the level of oversight on such things making bypassing difficult), removes any future threat. Now TUV, they're a real problem that needs hammering ASAP. They're still out there doing inspections on all kinds of things and have a history of incompetence, that screams problems within the company that need a thorough investigation.

[@TatsuZZmage]

This is France they had a guy stab another man in the chest a year after he was beaten in CS 1.6 with a knife, 2 years, for premeditated attempted murder.

[@phil4986]

Excellent video, Plainly. Just regular 100% properly made silicone implants were found to be dangerous. Even the smallest leak of the silicone was found to create massive, chronic, negative health effects in women that doctors could never explain. This was until the women got sick and tired of feeling awful, guessed it was the silicone implants and had them removed. The resulting improvement in their health was immediate and very positive but it was not easy. The absolute horror of an exploded silicone implant, degrading into a viscous plastic slime, inside of a womans chest, is a terribly unforgettable sight. Removing that mess is a very time-consuming process. By contrast, saline implants that fail, have a far lower incidence of medical complication and those implants outer casings, collapsed, have been removed easily. I am astonished and proud the FDA outlawed silicone implants in America. Jean Claude Mas used poison in his implants. I think he should have been forced to get two of his own poison breast implants installed in his own chest. Then he could reap what he sowed. Jean Claude Mas died in 2019 still under indictment for two lawsuits. It is estimated that 400,000 women have had these PIP products installed in their bodies. That should not be allowed to stand. PIP's poisonous products should all be removed, paid for by all of the financial resources of every executive who ever worked at PIP. Just like the Therac 25 Cancer treatment machine, this was all about saving a penny versus giving a damn about human life. People who do these things should be put away in prison, for the rest of their lives.

[@dinoflagella4185]

I had a friend that got sick and lost a lot of weight. She was bedridden for weeks. She couldn’t keep a meal down and was constantly vomiting. I saw her one day and he her had gotten better. She lost almost 100 lbs and was really thin. She said she had her breast implants removed and her health instantly got better.

[@rileyrobin2]

those horror stories about the therac 25 are gonna stick with me for a long while.

[@phil4986]

@@rileyrobin2 yea, me too. makes me want to vomit even right now.

[@1978garfield]

Actually the FDA has said since 2006 that silicone implants are fine and dandy. Although a number of independent reviews, including the Institute of Medicine in the United States, subsequently indicated that silicone breast implants do not cause breast cancers or any identifiable systemic diseases, on 21 March 2017, the FDA issued a statement indicating that women with breast implants have a "very low but increased risk" of getting a rare form of cancer called anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL).The cancer is associated with nine deaths, the FDA said. That's not 9 deaths per year, that's 9 deaths during the decade or so they did the study. Statistically I suspect you would be more likely to die from a car wreck on your way to the surgeons office than that cancer. Also it isn't the silicone that causes the cancer: The material inside the implant didn’t seem to affect the risk of BIA-ALCL. The FDA had information on the implant fill material in 312 BIA-ALCL cases: 186 were filled with silicone gel 126 were filled with saline (salt water). Obviously the FDA is talking about medical grade silicone here not calk, or whatever that French guy was making.

[@suchabadkitty1293]

​@@rileyrobin2 Aaaah, the good ol' Therac 25. Nothing like having your CANCER treated with a nice fatal dose of RADIATION!!🤮

[@Maplenr]

Oh man that punishment will definitely dissuade people... 🙄🙄

[@TobyChampion]

I really liked your "forward" about the reasons people get breast implants. Much respect.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you!

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

Yes, he deftly avoided the whimsical versus necessary discussion. BTW, it’s mostly whimsical and entirely unnecessary.

[@nancyrobinson3567]

@@anhedonianepiphany5588 As are all of your inane comments 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

@@debesys6306 If you’d actually read all my comments then you would be aware that I sympathise with _all_ the recipients of these atrocious implants. My point is that the vast majority of them were entirely unnecessary. I’m not blaming the victims, just the society which encourages and permits this.

[@DeputatKaktus]

For killing at least one and seriously endangering thousands of people, this man got away with basically a polite slap on the wrist and a „tut-tut, that was very naughty of you!“ Unbelievable.

[@suchabadkitty1293]

The laws for the rich and the poor are VERY different. 😡

[@kipter]

The fda is one of the few agencies that are suprisingly competent. They also caught the thalidamide thing pretry early.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

They seem to be on it in some ways

[@HailAnts]

Not really. The FDA's ban on (medical grade) silicone implants was completely unnecessary and politically motivated. There has never been any conclusive evidence that they are harmful. What this French guy did is completely different..

[@curiousbystander9193]

they are captured too

[@markrichards636]

Not anymore

[@suchabadkitty1293]

The days of the FDA being competent are long gone. I mean, thalidamide was before I was born. And I'm over 50.

[@pamyuhnke8143]

Thank you for mentioning that plastic surgery is often done after medically necessary tx. I’m recovering from my 4th post mastectomy surg. I love your channel. It’s fun to listen while I’m recovering.

[@TheElf_Online]

Hope your recovery goes well and/or continues to go well!

[@hylacinerea970]

my grandma got a complete removal of everything on her left side including the lymph feeding the area due to stage 4 bc, and she was asked if she wanted implants to "restore the appearance" when going through the surgery information. she looked at the surgeon and said "I'll be damned if I put anything else in my body" referring to this. 11 years later she's still using those heavy silicone inserts u put in bras.

[@suchabadkitty1293]

Industrial grade silicone. The same stuff used to caulk the bathtub. He should have been given life in prison. Good on your grandmother for having common sense!👍🏽

[@suzyfarnham3165]

My Mum is also a BC survivor. She now knits 'boobs' for survivors? They are so much lighter that the bulky silicone ones? You should look into them? My Mum donates them to the BC centres here in Australia? I am sure she got the pattern for them from a BS Facebook group or something?

[@NinoJoel]

You made it Jon your scandal video is so informative that the German Version of KZbin warns you before watching your video to inform yourself at the official government health institution before being "miss informed" Haha

[@ohioplayer-bl9em]

These people are sick. The "official" approved "information" is just as likely to contain misinformation or be outright lies. Conspiracy theorist is a word they use to paint anyone that doesn't believe the official approved information as crazy. When having any debate or conversation with someone you automatically lost the second you start calling people names and trying to get everyone else to do the same or worse then cutting their microphone off. If your argument is solid you should have zero need to go to that level and easily win the debate with provable facts.

[@ArDeeMee]

@@ohioplayer-bl9em You‘re missing the point, fictional person. If anything, there are more videos needing some form of „use your brain“ reminder, and official government websites are the way to go.

[@RoboRoby321]

@@ArDeeMee official government websites are not 100% safe, the government will also do stuff that goes against the people's interests and they WILL hide and reroute evidence and investigations so the truth remains hidden

[@omarb7164]

@@ArDeeMeehi, I heard something about weapons of mass destruction? In Iraq? A guy, I think American, mentioned it in the UN assembly recently. Do you have a link to the official statement on the government website? I’m very concerned about the nukes being developed… the American insisted there’s even proof! He said so in no uncertain terms! A top ambassador of the US government! Who am I to argue?

[@ajax700]

_the German Version of KZbin warns you before watching your video to inform yourself at the official government health institution before being "miss informed"_ Hello Nino. I don't understand. What does the German version suggest to do? It is a french company. Has the German government banned these implants? Best wishes.

[@leesutton7317]

Thankyou so much for covering this john. My partner is still, after 20 yrs, suffering from the complete, No Fux Given, dishonesty, greed and negligence of this man and his company. The fact that she will always have to face irreversible and persistent health problems for the rest of her life is something, that while we have come to terms with, will never be set right.

[@jraxreviewsxcosplayxmore6934]

It's sad companies STILL need reminding to this day: *CHEAPER DOES NOT MEAN SAFER*

[@suchabadkitty1293]

In fact it often means LESS safe. All companies know this and many simply do not care about anything but profits. That people might DIE isn't even a consideration.

[@mov9576]

love your vids! keeping me company while im in the hospital! thanks man!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

I hope you get better soon!

[@randybobandy9208]

Hopefully not for breast implants ;) Get well soon!

[@daviddavidson2357]

Breast implants?

[@bigoderra]

Hey dude, Brazilian here! Let me start stating that i binge watch your docs and find them extremely well done and educating! Secondly, i apologize in advance if i make any mistake in English. Most of my english skills came from TV, KZbin and games (school english here is terrible, i've revised verb to be since 5th grade up to the last year of high school) , so It may be the case that wrote something that have one meaning in my head, but another when read by someone more proficient. I know you have just briefly mentioned the dam(n) disasters in Brazil, but hey it's sunday and i have time to spare (not really), so i'd like to point out a few things that your mention didn't cover (or couldn't, given that it wasn't the main theme of this video). First is that the dam in Mariana wasn't operated by Vale, but by Samarco, which is owned by Vale and BHP (an aussie mining company, which competes with Vale... go figure). As Vale is much bigger than Samarco, it was held responsible. An interesting fact is that BHP is almost unknown to the general public here, and they didn't take as much flak as Vale, both in terms of taking legal responsibility (is far as i know, BHP wasn't fined or had a much smaller fine than Vale, even though the both hold similar amounts of shares) and in terms of public opinion. I also think that TüV wasn't the company responsible for inspecting that dam... Might be, but i've never heard of it and quick googling it returns only results relating TüV to Brumadinho. Another thing is that during the investigation of the Brumadinho case there were some allegations that TüV had alerted Vale of the problems, but Vale contested and pressured TüV to change their final say. Of course TüV assume the responsibility when they bent over to Vale, but ther are not to blame alone. Now everything i've wrote so far is either verifiable by researching it or disclaimed that i'm not sure of the most recent developments. What i'm writing next is my personal opinion. As an engineer (mechanical) and having worked at both brazilian and foreign multinational companies (including a 1 and a half year internship at Vale) i came to conclude that our culture here is heavily focused on short term results, frequently sacrificing the long therm stability. To contextualize i'm on the industry for about 10 years (i've started working when i was in the 3rd semester in uni) and have developed this opinion from both my experiences and talking to people with 30 to 40 years, mostly those who are now in managing positions and had a lot of contact with the international offices. I believe this short term approach happens for two main reasons, although there definitely are others. First is that we are strongly influenced by the american (as in "from United States") culture, which is stereotyped to be "fast paced" (in oposition to the german, nordic or japanese cultures when it comes to project diligence). Second it that, as an emerging economy, we have to be profitable for the foreign companies, but being rigorous increases time and cost. As an example i always cite something that a retired maintenance manager said during a production managing workshop i've attended. He worked for a company that manufactured and maintained locomotive engines. He was saying that the south american market has around one sixth the efficiency of the developed countries and to illustrate this he told that in Chile it takes 3 technicians 2 days do disassemble one engine, while i takes 1 technician to disassemble 2 engines in the US (he had personally visited these and other facilities). As i'm both aware of what we call the "stray dog syndrome" (the tendency that we have to believe that other countries are light years ahead of us and that we are the worst in most aspects - which might be true in some cases) and cautious to recognize valuable critics, i raised my hand and asked: "is that entirely because the south american are not as qualified??". Info: i'm from Minas Gerais, a state in the southeaster region which is the most industrialized in the country. His took a deep breath and said in an almost confession tone: "yeah... good question. Actually, we must recognize that in some less developed regions we don't have good technical school or they do not teach enough people to attract industries there, but near developed regions as here (note: my state alone is as big as France and is only the 10th in per capita GDP) we have people as qualified as any other i've seen in north america and Europe... The thing is that those guys in Chile worked in an open workshop made of vinyl tarp in freezing weather in high altitudes with manual tools... So as the gloves interfered with work, they were able to work for only about 20 minutes straight before their naked hands started to hurt, so they took turns with one working at each time while the other two were warming themselves in a campfire and their bathroom was an open latrine behind a wall. The american guys work in a closed heated workshop with electric hoists and pneumatic tools." This raises the question: why don't the workers unite, form a union and vindicate better conditions? The answer is uncomfortably simple: if we have better conditions we would cost almost as much as their workers, so why would they pay us and not their compatriots? This answer might be limited when applied to maintenance in equipment used for commodities exploration that depend on the natural occurrence, but is valid nonetheless and even more in other sectors. Well, that was interesting, organizing the thought like that, especially in another language, but i gotta get back to work. You know, emerging country, having to make end meet, being understaffed... those kind of thing. Sorry for the long text and i will be glad to answer anyone who would like to know more about here! Cannot promise fast answers, but i promise good intention.

[@bigoderra]

31 to 40 years of experience*. i'm 30 something myself, needed to endorse the argument by evoking someone more experienced than me.

[@XSpImmaLion]

The inheritance of hell from this guy and many others lives on, because I remember quite clearly that the scandal of using non medical grade silicone for breast implants is a recurring theme that pops up in news every few years, at least here in Brazil (nice Mariana link btw... :D That's some good piece of investigation there!). Sometimes it's about producers and distributors, sometimes it's clandestine plastic surgery clinics, but it always comes back at some point. The thing is, the cosmetic surgery industry in several countries in the world have become so entrenched and their advertisement so predatory that there are several people who are treated less like patients or costumers, and more like a part of some cult. There is a large part of the cosmetic surgery industry that operates much like alternative medicine scams. Costumers, or indoctrinated, will do anything and everything towards a cosmetic surgery blindly believing it'll solve all of their problems, and it's a sad sight to see. Vice made a piece just recently about a mother in Japan submitting her young daughter to an eye lid cosmetic procedure that was completely unnecessary... hearing her speak on how this was going to change her daughters' life somehow was just heart breaking. It was obvious that she was convinced that if her daughter didn't do that at a young age, she would amount to nothing as an adult. Behind closed doors some of these so called doctors will promise the world to them, boost their self confidence, serve basically as cult leaders telling how a surgery here and there will boost their images and open doors in all places, preaching how image is everything in today's world, and how there is no risk in any procedure they make. It operates in varying levels of scam, but people will always be able to find at any price unscrupulous "doctors" that are willing to take the money. Of course, there are legit reasons for cosmetic and plastic surgery... and in a way, the science has advanced a lot because of people who don't really need it throwing insane amounts of money in it. But man, I've seen so many sad cases of people getting into cosmetic surgeries they didn't need, either dying because of it or spending the rest of their lives with health problems because of those. Rule of thumb for me? If it isn't a procedure a competent and trustworthy doctor is recommending, I'm out. I can live pretty well with being ugly and having imperfect whatever... nose, hairline, cheeks, eye lids, belly, etc. It's just flesh and meat. I don't wanna get into a relationship with anyone who can only judge me on those factors anyway. Women are way worse off due to the pressures of the beauty industry and the general sexism that still permeates all levels of societies all around the world, but if I'm asked for an opinion, I'll always say don't do it. If it isn't a strictly necessary surgery needed for health related reasons, don't do it. If a doctor you are not too sure about is telling you to do it, ask for a second and third opinion, don't go into it blindly. And another thing I should mention - no, the time it takes to do it, the expected recovery time, the fact that it can be done without a full surgery center, the fact that the place looks more like a dentist's office... none of those things diminish the fact that an invasive procedure is a serious thing that can cripple you for life it not outright kill you. The cosmetic surgery industry has worked hard over the years to mask it as a less scary thing than regular surgery, but it's still a serious procedure that can carry all sorts of potentially scary consequences in the long run, it doesn't matter how doctors and offices are trying to make it look trivial. I don't wanna offend or incense people too much on this topic, so I'll just stop. This is only my personal opinion anyways, anyone is free to disagree. But modern societies should be making a better job of celebrating diversity and the uniqueness of each of us, not trying to box everyone into specific standards.

[@anhedonianepiphany5588]

Agreed, but please work on condensing your thoughts to reduce verbiage.

[@markusgorelli5278]

@@anhedonianepiphany5588 I read his essay and I don't know how. maybe you can paraphrase it shorter so we can see how it should be done.

[@suchabadkitty1293]

​@@anhedonianepiphany5588 Haha, right? Hope he gets that novel published.

[@tessfabled4115]

Technically my finger reconstruction after tumor removal was 'cosmetic surgery' haha. I had a tumor on the main tendon which meant I couldn't move it at all - no idea what would have happened if I hadn't 'opted for cosmetic surgey' :P

[@heavyhitter2655]

You post, my fingers come running on my screen to click. Good work, bud.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you!

[@heavyhitter2655]

@@PlainlyDifficult you're welcome.

[@cadillacdeville5828]

He really does good work 🙂

[@cadillacdeville5828]

@@PlainlyDifficult you're awesome with your narration

[@Failure_Is_An_Option]

The FDA has saved many lives more than once. There was a morning sickness medication that a lady in the FDA refused to approve in the US, despite being approved almost everywhere else on the planet.

[@Failure_Is_An_Option]

@Lawofimprobability That sounds right. Back in the 50's?

[@SianaGearz]

I see a lot of Contergan damaged people out on the streets in Germany.

[@rachelhansbro7802]

……Killed many more than they’ve ever saved! Cmon!

[@loglad5394]

Both my mother and grandma had breast cancer, my grandma getting it about 10 years after my mother. My grandmother was only able to be cured simply with chemotherapy, however my mother was luckily able to be cured with a double mastectomy. During this controversy I was always fearful of the dangers these implants may have presented to my mother, especially when she had a rupture and had to get them replaced, and she is definitely not the only person who struggled with this same issue. I am very grateful to have my mother and grandmother well now, and I am very grateful no further severe health problems came from a rupture, but still very worrisome. Funny enough one of my fondest childhood memories is being probably only about 4 and I remember picking up and playing with an implant like a stress ball and my mom and the doctor laughing (obviously I had no idea exactly what they were at the time!) lol.

[@SmolAliens]

I’m excited to watch this, love that you’re covering such a different kind of scandal.

[@pipactioncampaign3127]

Hi John! Great video! Keen to share with members of the PIP Action Campaign as we push toward a Public Inquiry in the UK. Tried to add a “Thanks” strangely not possible. But we shall keep sharing. 💛

[@Choralone422]

Thank you for this video. I remember reading about the 2000 US FDA ban on silicone implants. Along with seeing sporadic news reports of issues with them going back into the late 80's. However, I was unaware of what happened with PIP! Wow!

[@hueginvieny7959]

I love Saturday mornings because of plainly difficult I get a new video to watch while I'm heading to pick up chipped beef and waffles

[@PlainlyDifficult]

mmmmmmm Waffles

[@mkjirak]

I think TUV was probably snookered by PIP. Since PIP was knowingly doing this, I'll bet they cooked their incoming receiving records so that the good medical grade silicone covered the entirety of what they needed to build a lot. I was wondering before why PIP still included 25% medical grade and this answers my question: to pass inspections.

[@SianaGearz]

I wonder if they used a medical outer shell and industrial filling and thus reasoned that it's "safe". Even the bad guys don't always want to think they're the bad guys.

[@chesspiece81]

John, I've been watching your videos since 2018, and I can't believe how much your channel has grown.

[@washingtonradio]

Regarding TUV, depending on the certification PIP was looking for they may not have looked very closely at the actual suppliers to PIP or very closely at the details of the manufacturing process. Some ISO certifications are more closely focused on internal process control and validation procedures and as much on the details of the process itself.

[@laurabaker8832]

Nothing like a little greed with a side of misery . Thank you for this video.

[@Sevenigma777]

For any girls contemplating getting breast augmentation if you're doing it for yourself is one thing but if you are doing it for guys' sake then it is not worth it because if your breast size is what determines whether a guy likes you or not then he doesnt deserve you at all.

[@blunderingfool]

Girls don't need breast surgery, they're not adults.

[@HailAnts]

Doing it for themselves and doing it to be noticed more by guys is kinda the same thing..

[@stheil]

As it should be with any cosmetic surgery. Do it because it makes *you* feel better in your body, not because it makes other people feel better about it. Note, however, that it can also be both: I for example recently underwent GRS, and a part of the motivation was definitely that women with a bulge in their pants tend to be looked at weirdly.

[@xponen]

@@stheil cosmetic surgery for looks is a waste of money, since it is cheaper to achieve same thing with accessories/outfit. Not only that, there's risk it doesn't end up looking good, I've seen multiple videos showing that even Hollywood artist with lots of money had cosmetic surgery that end up looking weird.

[@curiousbystander9193]

it seems odd to suggest that a person lives in a vacuum!

[@hullinstruments]

Thanks for keeping us abreast of the situation. Too bad they couldn't NIP it in the bud before everything went tits up. Such a sticky situation that affected as so many lives. But sometimes things just go a little pear-shaped I'm sorry... I should be ashamed of myself. I'll leave now.

[@PlainlyDifficult]

:D

[@FreyasArts]

"Dear Mas, your implants suck 😘" - the FDA 😂😂😂 Love your humor

[@unholylykoi]

I have a testicular implant and this kinda thing is terrifying to think about

[@leejohnson1810]

Great videos! One of my favourite channels! 👌🏽

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@unrulycrow6299]

Being French and an older teen back when that story unfolded, I must say I am not surprised about the combo of utterly reckless cost-cutting decisions and the low punishment in consequence. It's alas a common occurrence here to see people deserving 30 years in prison get low punishment. It's a very distressing pattern to see so many high profile people get away with their shit.

[@morphman86]

Prime example of why regulations are so important. PIP did not know that what they were doing was harmful. The leadership lacked the knowledge. They overruled the regulations so many are campaigning to remove, and it resulted in potentially tens of thousands of unnecessary and preventable deaths. THIS is what happens when you try to make the market regulate itself!

[@rajrigby8385]

300,000 people effected... Works out as 3.5mins in gaol per implant And a fine of £0.25 per person

[@teddyl7006]

My sister in law ended her life because her leaking silicone implants created ongoing and intolerable pain.

[@SoundsGerman]

I can't say WHY I know the following because that would be identifying information, but I know first hand that PIP also sourced silicone from at least one german company. When all this went down the cops also knocked on their door but they got off scoff-free, because they could easily prove that sold silicone marked as industry grade, not medical grade. They sold it specifically NOT for medical uses and got off the hook in that matter.

[@cynthiatolman326]

Everyone in the field should have known something wasn't quite right with such a lower cost. Our regulatory commission didn't much care either. I'm sure if it was being used on men's private bits, with the same results, the punishment would have been much more severe. Sadly, I really believe that makes a difference.

[@reachandler3655]

Sadly, I believe you're correct.

[@sosogo4real]

How would male genital mutilation, a common practice, make this result in a more severe punishment.

[@ArDeeMee]

@@sosogo4real Found the American.

[@reachandler3655]

@sosogo If the fraud effected mostly men, causing cancer, pain and death, the punishment would likely have been greater.

[@MandeepSingh-vt9hl]

Here in India it's the opposite. If it had happened to male government would shrug it off maybe give spare change as compensation but if it was a woman the company would likely shutdown with arrest

[@Fudwinkle]

Scary 😱 I have implants, and it's so scary to think about. I bought the most premium ones possible, but you never know if some swapped them to save a buck

[@Tymbus]

My mother had breast cancer. She chose not to have breast implants. But I totally empathise with any woman who does. I, think the scandal may involve Dow Corning. eg In early 1994, Dow Corning Corp. debates whether to participate in a proposed $4.2 billion product liability settlement. Specifically, the firm must decide whether to contribute $2 billion to end a class action suit filed by women suffering from connective tissue diseases, autoimmune disorders, and other medical conditions, allegedly as a result of defective silicone breast implants. Although denying any impropriety, Dow Corning stands accused of intentionally withholding information on health risks associated with its implants over several decades.

[@Mizz.Person]

For sure. Breast Implant Illness. Scary stuff. 😞

[@zramirez5471]

John (Jon?) your music is REALLY good!! Damn dude you've really got it now!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you!!

[@geniferteal4178]

I had to plant a comment right away to be at the top. No notifications but I found you right away. Must be the topic and the algorithms. LOL By the way they're spectacular!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you for letting me know

[@tiberiusgracchus4222]

Hydrogen boobs is the greatest script mistake of all time...lol! "Oh Honey, NO! Don't light up that cigaret...BOOM!!!!!!"

[@sfctw1]

TÜV when there's life-threatening implants: ich schleep 💤 TÜV when you *legally* mod your car: guess who's gonna walk a lot more soon lmao

[@garrydavis3475]

Forgot to mention that you are truly the best person for narrating this kind of stuff wish you had a job with the bbc

[@easysneezy]

5:55 bruh explosive awooga

[@tritnaha1345]

Super interesting stuff! One thing tho, the background noise/humming is pretty distracting at times if you've got hearing aids or have other issues with your hearing. Just tone it down a big volume wise and it should be good 👍😊

[@purebottle]

I find it all the more chilling that an OK (and presumably, trusted) supplier of implants would do this. I imagine most companies wouldn't actually check that they're still getting the same quality products, especially if the change isn't visible through visual checks.

[@suchabadkitty1293]

Industrial grade silicone. Nice, huh?

[@wmpostill]

"... and set about travelling the world to some of the biggest markets for breast implants. One of these was the UK, and this doesn't surprise me one bit." Talk about throwing shade!

[@nicrobe9443]

Great content, as always! Do you have any future desire to take a look at the Soma coal mine collapse of 2014?

[@PlainlyDifficult]

I hadn't heard of it! thanks for the suggestion

[@altrag]

Heck of an ending. TUV certifies this faulty product but then claims they didn't know what it was made of? How is that better exactly? "We didn't lie - we're just really really bad at our jobs!" Their PR department is apparently just as incompetent as their certification department.

[@brianhoward7277]

They should just use bags of sand for implants, it would be much more realistic and natural

[@PlainlyDifficult]

😂😂from 40 year virgin?

[@toolbox14]

Yo John! Would you do a video on the Mountain pass mine in CA?

[@bobbun9630]

It seems bizarre to me that someone would skimp on materials for such a high value product. Even at 10x cost, it's hard to believe that the medical grade silicone impacted profit margins by all that much.

[@Dennys787]

I was doing the dishes while listening to the video, and when he said “Hydrogen Implants” i said out lout “WHAT?” and looked at the screen in disbelief

[@Cec9e13]

I learned literally two weeks ago that one may be ALLERGIC to silicone. Got a smart watch, had these itchy marks exactly where the band was, finally Googled "allergic to silicone" as I peeled dead skin from the healing rash. I thought silicone was basically hypoallergenic, you know? It's not. Allergy is rare, reaction beyond "localized dermititis" is even more rare, but both exist. And my FIRST THOUGHT was "imagine having silicone implants and having "contact dermititis" INSIDE YOUR BODY. Well now I know why silicone is considered hypoallergenic - that's medical grade, not industrial grade like my watch band....

[@crezychameau]

I remember now, seeing this scandal a lot on french news tv at the time and people being furious about this. I don't know if it lasted, but at the time the man was powerfully despised by the population

[@lukeonuke]

amazing quality as always

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Thank you!

[@SianaGearz]

Better than the implants in question that's for sure.

[@Bnuttn]

Love your videos!

[@BlackFlagHeathen]

This episode made my boobs retreat into my body. 😖 What a joke of consequences!

[@Cypher791]

Why does it not surprise you one bit that the UK was one of the biggest markets for breast implants? Does the UK have an unusually high number of mastectomy’s? Or are implants in the UK particularly popular for a… multitude of other reasons? 🤔

[@mookie2637]

Mas, or at least his firm, tried to "do a deal" with the UK Government after the story broke, using a lobbying firm which employed an ex-special adviser to talk to us. We pretty much laughed in his face.

[@byaku83]

when i was younger we used to go to the pip plant with a few friends and throw breast implants at each other which was a lot of fun !

[@mommachupacabra]

When the manufacture of the "Today" contraceptive sponge was located in Irvine, CA, I used to drive to work past their building - sponge battles would probably explain why there were always a bunch scattered over the parking lot. :)

[@Bacopa68]

I've always liked the Scandal intro music.

[@rowboat8343]

4 years ! Why is it that the executives never get an appropriate punishment. 🙄 why am I still surprised ☹️

[@BlairAir]

Re: $700 vs $100 cost considerations; TWO Age old adages apply... John's suggested "if it seems too good to be true, it probably is" -might I suggest another: "You get what you pay for" 😉 -in Spades here, unfortunately for the victims of the ruthless greed in evidence.

[@calvinwright5040]

Awesome video! I can't help but think about hydrogen implants re-createing the hindinburg

[@BrutusAlbion]

Crazy light punishment for the massive damages and fraud committed. You can't convince me that this is justice anymore. This is a cruel joke.

[@craigh5236]

Howdy!

[@PlainlyDifficult]

Hello!

[@jerbear299]

Keep the awesome videos coming!

[@michaelpipkin9942]

I have implanted many women with my product and have not complained. The ones that have....have been settled out of court.

[@sandwich2473]

Gee wiz The guy should have at least had all of his assets taken considering the harm involved And if TUV didn't know what ingredients were used, they shouldn't have certified PIP Oh my goodness it's awful

[@megsley]

anybody else old enough (I'm 37) to remember seeing MTV true life where they talked about the website silicone holocaust? shit scared me for life I never wanted implants after that!

[@Apex2002]

I was so shook about the hydrogen

[@eggreedgious5194]

Hey don't stop I came here to hear you jibber! Hydrogen implants had me going for a minute. Golly MRS. HINDENBURG YOUR CHEST IS ON FIRE!

[@olgalisinska4837]

Plastic surgeons tell people that breast implants are not a one time surgery, you’re signing up for many surgeries for the length of your life

[@ptonpc]

Greed destroying lives. At the end no one was properly punished for it.

[@jenniferkaplan1956]

I can't even imagine what else he expected to happen... 🤬

[@RabiesTheBeagle]

Fn love ur channel. I don't watch it enough because holy shite it a brain 🧠 overload.... TY

[@garrydavis3475]

Nice be one John excellent project with very artistic value 😂

[@fernaj1998]

Watching this from costa rica and when you mentioned that this man was arrested here im like "God damn it, why us out of all the countries in the world!" Im also costa rican

[@michaelsolis5665]

Ah yes, another video of a horrible tragedy explained by Diffy. Perfect for my morning breakfast

[@TwistedSaviour]

Never forget Pip's paps pop!

[@graemebrown1191]

Enjoyed that Jon✌ Thanks

[@jackking5567]

If you see how silicone gels are made it's little wonder they ruptured.

[@bevgordon7619]

In 2000 - 2001 I dealt with breast cancer and after 6 months of chemo, I ultimately chose the double mastectomy (i like symmetry- why chopping off only the cancerous boob?). During consultation, I asked questions like “if I get implants and when I give/get someone a big hug could this pop my balloons?” Also, I looked up stuff and the article that got the vote NO was a panel of women confronting the baddies (implant company, et al if I remember right). One lucky woman showed them her removed implant. It was black with some kind of Gunk!!! Obviously angry and distraught because what if this gunk leaked or burst into her body!! Nope! No reconstruction surgery after my double mastectomy, no thanks. One interesting article described that the reconstruction came with fake nipples made by tattooing slight colour difference and added fleshy bumps. Hmmm. So I asked: “ I know my provincial medical coverage would Not pay for it, but if I gave you (my oncologist) the ink for the nipple tattoos, could you please give me purple flames?”

[@Emdiggydog]

How have these videos changed your outlook on the world?

[@snapicvs]

“TUV has denied any knowledge of the toxic chemicals used in the PIP implants.” Sounds like an admission of guilt if ever there was one, since it was their job to know and certify the safety of the implants.

[@thewatchersofthewood3530]

They will probably never be a safe breast implant as plastics and silicones that are flexible break down over time.

[@Notmyname1593]

Oh no! It`s another cost cutting! What could go wrong?

[@MelodyofDarkness0001]

An inspection on the ides of March? How about that

[@womble321]

My mother didn't have a problem and refused point blank to have hers removed. She had enough trauma the first time.