Arguably, Gerow’s silicone implants did play a big role in reconstructive surgeries for women who’d lost their breasts to cancer. But Gerow himself never conceived of implants in such an altruistic capacity; he was just a guy who liked breasts, and especially liked the idea of making breasts bigger. The population he had in mind for his surgery wasn’t cancer patients but rather women whose bosoms sagged after childbirth.
