Thomas M. Biggs:
The Main Hero

Board certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Biggs is a Clinical Professor of plastic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas) and a Visiting Professor of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. He has served as President of the Houston Society of Plastic Surgeons, the Texas Society of Plastic Surgeons, and President of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, and has been an Examiner for the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Biggs is a Life member of the American Association of Plastic Surgeons and a member of many other societies. He is Editor-in-Chief of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, official Journal of ISAPS. Dr. Biggs is the author of over 50 publications in medical journals, several book chapters and more than 150 papers at various meetings. He has lectured and operated by invitation in 36 countries and has been invited as Ohmori Lecturer at the ISAPS congress in Melbourne, 2008. Dr. Biggs recently received the most respected award, Homage, from the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, the title of "Grandfather" to residency in Guadalajara, Mexico, and the Most Distinguished Surgeon Award by the Houston Society of Plastic Surgery (third award given in sixty years). .

To the Editorial Board of the program “The Main Hero”
Sergey Nudelman:

Dear Sirs,

We love NTV and always watch your program, which is very interesting and dynamic. However, not long ago we were surprised to hear the announcement of a program with an American plastic surgeon, Dr. Thomas M. Biggs, who was named “the Great Implantator” and alleged to be the cause of sufferings of thousands of women. And then we saw the program…

We understand that the journalist wanted to elucidate a hot topic of breast augmentation and associated risks. However, Dr. Biggs is mostly famous for other types of plastic surgery procedures including breast reconstruction after mastectomy for oncology.
You can probably imagine great sufferings of a woman whose cancer caused her lose her breast and with it the hope for a happy life. And what about psychological complexes of women, whose breast size was close to zero? They also want to be attractive and happy. As of today, the use of silicone implants for breast augmentation, according to the European Quality Control Committee for Drugs and Technologies in plastic surgery, is the safest approach to solve the problem.

Russian plastic surgeons have known Dr. Biggs as one of the most reputable physician with high moral principles in his professional activity. Based on these criteria in addition to his personal professional accomplishments Prof. Thomas Biggs was elected President of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2002. These principles have always been vital for Dr. Biggs both in his private practice (from which, by the way, he retired some years ago) and his vast educational activity. He is Editor-in-Chief of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and the author of over 50 publications in medical journals, several book chapters and more than 200 papers at various meetings. Dr. Biggs dedicates a lot of time and efforts to teaching plastic surgeons. He has lectured and operated by invitation in 36 countries including Russia and trained over a hundred residents heading the residency program at Bailor’s college in Houston. Dr. Biggs recently received the most respected award, Homage, from the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery, the title of "Grandfather" to residency in Guadalajara, Mexico, and the Most Distinguished Surgeon Award by the Houston Society of Plastic Surgery. And in the recent 10 years or so Dr. Biggs contributed a lot to the development of aesthetic plastic surgery in Russia.

It is surprising why such an outstanding surgeon as Dr. Biggs, who has always served his patients as best as he could and considered the patients’ interests higher than any commercial profit, was made a dealer (businessman).
Dr. Biggs is a very wise person, and communication with him is always interesting and rewarding; he knows a lot, reads and thinks a lot. It was probably not easy to ignore the meaning of what he had said, to pick up separate words from the context and make the program that we’ve seen.

We feel ashamed of all this.

Sergey V. Nudelman, M.D.
ISAPS National Secretary for Russia (2000-2008)
Director. Cosmetology and Plastic Surgery Centre
Plastic surgeons of the Ekaterinburg Cosmetology and Plastic Surgery Centre:
N.A. Golubkov
V.A. Golovach
E.A. Komornik
V.U. Savun
I.L. Tsvetkov

Nikolay O. Milanov

Once I heard on the radio in a car that people use swear-words on average up to 236 thousand times during their lifetime. After the program I had used up my entire limit. The NTV Channel has slung mud at Russian doctors as well. We’ve got accustomed to that, as we are used to NTV programs like "The Maximum Program", "The Main Hero" and others. We haven’t responded and NTV hasn’t quite liked it. So, they found a victim from abroad since they knew perfectly well that they wouldn’t have to bear responsibility. They’ve got used to our humbleness when being offended. Mr. T.M. Biggs would be unlikely to react to their discourtesy in public, and no other costs would be incurred except for the fee which was, no doubts, paid to the journalist. However the NTV guys have been slightly mistaken. We’ve got used to corruptibility and impunity of mass media in Russia and we do not defend ourselves. But in this case they disgrace our nation. Ignorance and incompetence of the scribbler and her supervisors is not only their shame. It’s a shame on entire NTV company management that has turned television into a trash box in pursuit of earnings. As to Thomas Biggs, I hope, he will be above all this dirt since he knows perfectly the attitudes to him on part of his colleagues all over the world and in Russia. And we, on our part, will always be glad to see him again.

President of Russian Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons,
Member of Russian Academy of Medical Sciences
Professor N.О. Milanov

To the Editorial Board of the program “The Main Hero”
Irina Khrustaleva

Dear Sirs,

Please take your time to read this letter, which was caused not by a mere wish to make a scandal but by the necessity to defend the honour of our colleague who wouldn’t do it himself.
So, your team has made another “sensational” program unmasking these grabbers in white gowns, these uneducated extortionists, these dealers up to the elbows in blood of their victims, these … plastic surgeons. This time the scope of Motherland was too narrow for your correspondents, or most probably they wanted to taste some overseas joys, therefore the program endeavored to unmask a shark of the American business of aesthetic surgery (for which the present political situation is favorable)/ The motives are direct as the only curve in the brain and thus dull and understandable. And your whole program wouldn’t have roused any negative emotions (we’ve seen smth much worse) had it not been for the figure of your disclosure. Who, may I ask, has prompted you to address Thomas M. Biggs of all people? Why have you, being totally incompetent in the chosen hot topic, allowed yourselves in pursuit of cheap sensation to present a truly respectable and honorable (as distinct from your program) surgeon and educator in such an unsavoury role of an arrogant “breastmaker” pushing tons of silicon to slow-thinking women and counting millions of profit during long Texan nights. In the meantime other (honest) doctors who were found in America by no other than Russian journalists (an important political moment – we do understand) save these poor creatures. And the latter tell everything to The Main Hero program – this voicer of the truth, objectivity and impartiality of the world scale! Sorry if this sounded rude, but you were not ceremonious with Dr. Biggs either. Didn’t you know or did you bother to collect any information about him before picking separate words from his long interview?
Do you know that the doctor whom you presented as a clown is one of the most respected members of the ASAPS (www.asaps.org)? That he taught several generations of currently practicing plastic surgeons not only in the US but many countries of Europe, Asia and South America? That for his professional and educational merits he has been elected President of the ISAPS (www.isaps.org) that unites colleagues throughout the world? That in many ways thanks to his efforts aesthetic surgery in Russia reaches the level of the western leaders?
Professor Biggs loves Russia, has many friends here and is warm with his colleagues from many Russian cities. Therefore, apparently, he was sure in friendliness of our TV and couldn’t expect a catch when he gave genuine and detailed answers to your reporters, spending so much of his precious time and welcoming them in his home.
The more shocking was the result.
Nobody, to be frank, is hopeful for your excuses to Dr. Biggs and nobody awaits that the unhealthy yellow colour of your program would be replaced by the colour of shame fro its existence. We – those who watch your program with an open mouthy – are asking for only one thing: check your information and respect the audience. Don’t thing that people will gobble everything.
And finally, what an offence to our nation, but this is not for you.

Irina Khrustaleva

Dr. Alexey Borovikov’s address to aesthetic surgeons:

Dear colleagues,
One of NTV programs featured as the central figure Dr. Thomas Biggs whom we all have perfectly known.
Professor Biggs is in sympathy with Russia – he has a lot of friends here, they are also his colleagues, admirers and students in one way or the other. His authority in our field is not merely high - it is indisputable. For this reason, I think, with trust in sincere respect on part of his Russian colleagues, Tom gave an interview to guys from NTV. I was watching that program together with its main hero, excitedly expecting that they would give proper respect to this outstanding person and would express, at least somehow, our general gratitude and everybody’s admiration for Thomas Biggs.
Confused with what I had seen, I activated all my connections with people from the world of mass media to find out what made the NTV people to feature Tom Biggs as a cool-headed dealer, almost a criminal? Isn’t it a crime to introduce devices known to be dangerous to a person (allegedly dangerous silicone implants) to make money? Clearly, I told, that program about Dr. Biggs was slanderous. However, the problem is that this is not a simple lie. This is a sick, inflamed lie lacking any sense. There are always enough reasons to call white black. But there should always be at least one clue, which helps to reveal reasons and goals of cheating. I tried to reconstruct motives of the people who defamed Tom, but I failed. Why did they disgrace the person who lives in other part of the world and is widely known only in his field? Was it worth to cross the ocean for this? I was so naive! Was I the only one, colleagues?
All journalists with whom I was able to talk, someone compassionately, someone condescendingly, brought me down to earth. What truth? Science-based journalism was long-forgotten in our country. What responsibility for slander? Lawsuit is the only way to affect liars, but imagine the burden of it for the victim. They don’t have any institution of professional honor. The honest are getting shot. All channels work off the lick-spittling of their bosses in the «Kremlin pool», and their second priority (or maybe even the first one) is advertising profit. And this requires proper content, all sorts of things to fill voids between commercial blocks, pleasing to common people. And what is pleasing? “Yellow” or “black” stories. Professional journalists coolly spoke of media tycoons choosing for themselves this or that smack, or a smell, as I would call it; and all agreed that NTV prefers black. “It seems as if you don’t watch TV, young man!” lamented one of the well-known TV presenters, - “Just take a look at what they do to our physicians!” That’s it. Dr. Tom Biggs who is almost an icon for us, for them is just “an informational reason” to belch out another piece of dirt.
The purpose of my address to you, dear colleagues, is clearly to defend the name of Dr. Biggs. Everyone who shares this desire can make his/her contribution by simply pressing several keys on the keyboard. There is also a second purpose - to call for search of mechanisms to protect ourselves against media lawlessness. All of us swore when looking at ignorant (and shamefully nonprofessional for a journalist) ungrounded discredit of “plastic surgeons” (?!) practicing … injections of gel! How long will they make us equal to dealers from salons? There are more than enough of those, we must admit. But are we to blame for that? It’s a fault of those officials who sabotage the institutionalization of our specialty, which is the only way to separate the husk from the grain. Also, it’s a fault of the surgical establishment bosses who are not willing to regard us as devoted professionals capable of solving problems, at which they turn a blind eye and scornfully call us "cosmeticians". And…it’s our fault when we are more preoccupied with ourselves than with social recognition of our work.
So, what should be done here and now ("now" means that we’ll not touch big issues such as institutionalization of our specialty)?
1. When defending Dr. Biggs, you defend the rightness and importance of your work. Your voices and opinions obtain, even if scandalous, but convincing “informational reason” to be heard and increase awareness about our specialty.
2. Advocate regular contacts with mass media in your professional societies (there are three of them in addition to RSPRAS, if I am not mistaken).
3. We should minimize the amount of advertising on our personal web sites in favor of the balanced information, particularly about the grounds of the silicone scandal in the USA. Surgical societies are quite capable of censoring sites of their members and taking measures against those who compromise professional values when behaving like a fair tout.

Professor Alexey M. Borovikov, MD, plastic surgeon

Sergey Zorin:

Dear Madame Sagomonyan, I’d like to tell a few words about NTV’s “The Main Hero” program of 14 Sept. 2008 that featured Dr. T. Biggs.
First of all, I’m extremely indignant and distressed at the way you presented this world-renowned surgeon and wonderful person: beginning with disgusting off-screen voiced translation with tones of the conferencier from “The Unusual Concert” by S.Obraztsov and ending up with general impression.
I have known T.Biggs nearly 10 years, met him at numerous workshops, courses and meetings both in Russia and in other places, including Houston (where your story came from). One can hardly overestimate his positive influence on plastic and aesthetic surgery throughout the world. And his contribution to development of aesthetic surgery in Russia is huge and you can believe me that it is far greater than breast augmentation with silicone implants alone. The issue of silicone implants is very important but reducing it to demonstration of one strange lady with huge breasts and a number of complications, in my opinion, is the same as discussing serious car crashes and proposing to prohibit motor vehicles.
I understand that it’s not possible to hold a discussion with you, since you have accomplished your task. But I’m very sorry that once again aesthetic surgery was shown in such a devitalized, amputated fashion. And it is extremely outrageous that you exploited the most dignified person and surgeon T. Biggs for this purpose.

S.V.Zorin
ISAPS Member
RSPRAS Member
ASAPS International candidate

Alexander Drevetskiy:

Having watched “The Great Implantator” program I couldn’t help writing this letter. I know Dr. T. Biggs for about 10 years, attend his lectures every year and consider him to be the man of principle, one of the most honest and intelligent doctors. All his lectures convey his desire to teach young doctors to avoid mistakes that he had ever made. Like no other, Dr. Biggs never hid problems that plastic surgery may be fraught with.
“SURGERY IS RISKY!!!” – is his slogan that is repeated again and again in all his lectures, and he has taught us for many years not to keep it a secret from patients, but to make them understand it. Your program showed him as a clown who cheats people. SHAME!!!! I always knew that mass media can turn everything upside down, but I couldn’t imagine that it could be so much that! The program came out to be transparently biased, without even the slightest hint of pseudoscientific content at the least. Pink snivels mixed with yellow gossips. Sorry, if my words were strong.

Alexander Drevetskiy, plastic surgeon from St.-Petersburg

Mikhail Mylnikov:

Tom Biggs is a plastic surgeon of the highest class, an excellent witty speaker, a man of honor, a very kind person who has the warmest feelings towards his colleagues in Russia and towards Russia in general. Madame Journalist, not having an idea of what and who she was talking about, brought shame to herself and (yet again!) to her colleagues. It was just money-making for her. It’s a shame.

Mikhail Mylnikov, Candidate of Medical Science, SPRAS member, Odessa.