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ARTICLE · 28 SEPTEMBER 2021

Blogger Liable To Plastic Surgeon For Defamatory Posts About Botched Breast Augmentation

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A British Columbia plastic surgeon successfully sued a former patient for defamation following comments she posted online alleging botched breast augmentation surgery...

CanadaLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
James R.G. Cook
James R.G. Cook
Kevin Mooibroek (Articling Student)
Kevin Mooibroek (Articling Student)
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A British Columbia plastic surgeon successfully sued a former patient for defamation following comments she posted online alleging botched breast augmentation surgery: Peterson v Deck, 2021 BCSC 1670 (CanLII) https://canlii.ca/t/jhqsf

The defendant, a professional blogger, had retained the plaintiff surgeon for a breast augmentation consultation and surgery. The surgeon had suggested that the defendant consider asymmetrically sized implants in response to her medical condition known as a "sunken chest". The defendant instead chose two symmetrical implants, which the surgeon implanted in a November 2015 surgery. 

Following the surgery, the defendant was unhappy that one implant sat higher on her chest than the other. She complained to the surgeon who informed her that this was not uncommon and the implant would likely settle over the coming months as her chest muscles relaxed. When the implant failed to settle as the defendant wished, the surgeon offered to

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