Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2001 01:30:42 EDT

Fraud in master silicone breast implant litigation

4/2/01 Hi Kathy! Thank you for your response. I can understand why you are concerned about E-mail. I was the first woman to sue Dow Corning in the State of Texas, 1986. (There may have been one suit prior to mine). I was implanted in 1978 with Dow Corning implants, I suffered 4 ruptured b.i.. After the 4th rupture, I miscarried, my hair fell out in globs, my eyelashes and eye brows fell out (not completely) I had lichen sclerosus, I grew 12 tumors, I had nerve damage in my lower extremeties, acid burning sensation in my hands. My fingers are swollen and I have knots or nodes forming on my finger joints. I could not remember things, and my brain spect was abnormal.

I had an emergency removal and these symproms dramatically improved, however I still have problems with my hands. I have flare ups but Im convinced I would have been in a wheelchair if I had not explanted my implants. Dr. Louie Fabian Worthing was a paid expert wirtness for Dow Corning and he gave damaging testimony in depositions against the women. He perfomed my explant surgery and he did not tell me he was their paid expert, knowing I was suing Dow Corning. I told him I wanted to be awake during the procedure, and use a local. I requested the implants after surgery in sealed containers. Instead, he knocked me out and left the hospital with my implants. I knew the implant was ruptured and he said it was and I have a tape recording of him. He refused to return my phone calls after surgery. Upon my first office visit with him, he removed my bandages and said, "what you see, IS WHA?T YOU GET!"

I a mean voice incinuating I deserved to look deformed. He left me to believe that he took my scar capsules out, and said the biopsies did not show anything. I suffered for 5 years with brest pain. I had my breasts reconstructed with tissue from the abdomin. My new surgeon told me he had to perform bilateral capsulectomies and they had foreign body material identified. I recently had a DNA lab in St. Louis, Missouri test the implants that Dr. Worthing supposedly removed from my body. One implant has another woman's DNA on it. It belongs to another woman and I would like to return it to her. That is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

I do not feel comfortable keeping this implant because it may be involved in litigation. Bunches of women filed lawsuits against Dr. Worthing and TOPS (Texas Outpatient Surgicare Hospital) O'Quinn and Laminack lawfirm, and/or Houston committee appointed Dr. Worthing to Plaintiffs' Laision Committe, Health Care Proivider and he was named as Plaintiffs' General Liability Expert Witness for the Master Silicone Litigation that is mirrored in other states, California, Louisiana, Arizona, etc. He is named with other experts from out of state physicians.

Dr. Worthing gave a deposition in the Master Silicone Litigation because he was going to say surgeons were not warned of the hazards of breast implants. The Houston lawfirms sent their clients to him for explant surgery. He performed explant surgery solo and his business boomed. He covered up ruptured implants, and falsified women's medical records. His testimony in a Houston trial, for the Plaintiffs' caused them to lose their lawsuits. I have court documents from his divorce that was not sealed where it states he was living with a breast implant attorney for John O'Quinn's law firm (I don't want to identify her at this time), he paid for her day to day expenses, gave her $5,000 and bought her a car. He denied using certain implants and I have sworn statements where he used the implants

He gave women their implants after surgery and did not send one implant to a pathologist nor did he weigh the implant. The problem with this is, a woman's operative report at the hospital (Hospital records) will state the weight (in grams) and the size of the implant and manufacturer. If it is ruptured upon removal then it needs to be weighed immediately because this will determine about how much silicone was spilled into the body. No matter what a doctor tells you, you can t get it all with a glove over technique. The reason he covered up ruptured breast implants was so that it would be difficult to prove the device was defective. ALL implants leak and seep silicone as a know fact; however, a rupture is a defect. Also, according to his divorce records his wife gave sworn testimony that he suffered substance abuse (I wont identify at this time).

My records are certified by the court. Statements about this were made four days prior to his deposition taken in a major lawsuit. He said he need to go to a treatment Center. To me this would affect his judgment as a paid Expert Witness in a trial. This case lost as I mentioned. The Plaintiff in this case told me she had a ruptured implant, she knew it and he said later it was not ruptured. I now hear, John O'Quinn, the attorney representing these Plaintiffs' said he was not going to pursue breast inmplant litigation as he is on a board for Dow Chemical. Please dont contact Sybil Goldrich as she is on the Tort committee with him. It is a mess.

Due to the fact, Dr. Worthing gave false testimony in the Master Silicone Litigation, I feel, women would file fraud. I do not want to give out my papers to people, however, I would be glad to set up an appointment with any Plaintiffs' attorney and see about possible legal action against manufacturers, attorneys, and this doctor for defrauding the implant litigation. In addition to this, Dr. Douglas R. Shanklin in Tennessee had problems. I sued him and I won an $800,000 default judgment Sept. 18, 1999.

We compromised in 2000. Dr. Shanklin was a consultant pathologist "to" the Univerisity of Tenn. He sued the University for a pay decrease but this matter supposedly resolved itself. Dr. Shanklin's name appeared in the Command Trust Network Newsletter numerous times requesting breast implant tissue blocks, tissue, implants etc. for exmination and that he would provide a report for each case. He was in Vogue magazine, and on the Connie Chung Show about 1990.

A doctor has to be affiliated with a hospital in order to apply for a grant to conduct a study. His study was the scar capsule was the site of the illness. He said he was overwhelmed with specimens and could not keep up with things. It took me 5 years to get the implants and tissues returned. The report that I got from him was vague and unsatisfactory. A woman out in Calif. filed a Writ of Possesion and a Sherriff went to the University to serve him papers. He has complaints against him. Shanklin is also named as Plaintiffs' Designated Expert.

I think he should return everyones specimens, and give the ladies a report. It is against the law in Tennessee to keep pathology specimens if the owner wants them back. I urge the ladies to maintain their records. Thank you for listening. I am interested in talking with ladies that had explant surgery in Houston. If you can post a note for Goldminz somewhere about this, I would like to talk with them as soon as possible. Thank you!