Texans Invented Silicone Breast Implants & Were the First to Get Them

Let's get the cliché out of the way, right away: truly everything is bigger in Texas. Including innovations in plastic surgery.

The first silicone breast implants were invented in Texas 50 years ago, which led to the first operation happening in Texas on a Texan woman. Her name is Timmie Jean Lindsey and we'll get back to her soon because she's pretty amazing.

Two Texas surgeons, Frank Gerow and Thomas Cronin, developed the first silicone breast implants in conjunction with the Dow Corning Company. Gerow came up with the idea after squeezing a blood bag. The implants were initially tested on a dog, until the first human volunteered for the procedure. Don't worry about Esmerelda the dog, they removed the breast implant after she began chewing on it.

Texan Timmie Jean Lindsey did not seek breast implants, but had gone in to get a tattoo removed from her breast. She agreed to be a guinea pig for Gerow and Cronin after brokering a deal with them- she would undergo the procedure if they agreed to throw in plastic surgery on her ears, which she felt stuck out too much. Never be afraid to ask for what you're worth.

Breast implants took off and have since had multiple improvements and missteps. Second generation breast implants from the 1970s tended to leak and cause complications leading to class action lawsuits. But silicone has remained the material of choice for breast augmentation, with the latest silicone "Gummy Bear" implants becoming more and more popular.

According to BBC, Timmie Jean is, "still very happy with the little piece of history she carries inside her body."