Many people think breast prostheses are cosmetic, but a
breast prosthesis is a medical device, recognized by the Ontario Ministry of
Health as part of their Assisted Devices Program.
Prostheses are not just for visual affect, they compensate
for the weight that’s taken away when part or all of a breast is removed (there
are partial prostheses available for those who have only part of the breast
removed). A breast prosthesis is weighted and sized to match your natural
breast, which keeps one side of the body balanced with the other. Otherwise,
the hips, shoulders and the spine can get out of alignment.
A woman shared that her mother was in her 70s when she had a
mastectomy, and never gave thought to a prosthesis. “Who’s going to see it?”
she thought. Eleven years later, she underwent extensive spinal surgery because
of the imbalance the loss of breast weight had caused.
Because there will be so much to think about after your surgery,
you can reduce some of that stress by planning ahead. One thing to consider is
a post-surgical camisole. These garments have many special options – you can
step into it and pull it up without straining your arms, and it also has a
drainage tube pocket that can be removed later when no longer needed. It also
has pockets for a single or double fiber fill.
In a follow-up post, we’ll look at the next steps in being
fitted for a prosthesis.
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