How to Select Appropriate Bras for Your Recovery Post Surgery

Updated on September 19, 2019

If you have been told that a mastectomy is your best option, it is not the news that you would want to hear but it is certainly a necessary operation for those who have been diagnosed with cancer or for those who have a family history of the disease. A mastectomy, as well as being an essential operation, can also be an operation of choice for those who it is considered may be prone to the disease in the future. Contrary to popular thought, a mastectomy can be performed on both men and women but it is women however who are likely to feel more self conscious after the operation as they are more inclined to notice the loss of their pre surgery shape. There is the choice to elect for breast reconstructive surgery, or another much less invasive option would be to opt to wear a mastectomy bra. It is however important to discuss your options and needs with your surgeon as there will be healing time required after the operation and you should work with your surgeon to decide on the type of bra that would best suit your needs. It is also important to find out when you would be able to begin wearing post surgery bras.

The following would be considerations for your selection of bra after your mastectomy operation. 

  • In discussions with your surgeon, it may be the case that he / she will advise you on the features that would be required from your bra. For example, you may require that your bra offers some compression or it may be that due to your wound, a front fastening bra may be indicated. Bras can also come with pockets to accommodate a surgical drain if necessary. You will find that some of the bras come with an underwire and some do not, some come in T shirt form and can be slipped over your head.
  • Mastectomy bras are comfortable and are usually made from very soft material which is very kind to your skin. You will need to decide on whether you are looking for a sports type bra or a lace adorned bra for example, there is such a wide range of styles and materials available and choice certainly will not be limited.
  • You must also be aware that your bra size will more than likely change after your operation. You should make sure that you measure yourself correctly so as to choose the appropriate size.
  • Bras can come with inbuilt breast forms or you can choose to have a foam prosthesis made to suit, the decision will dictate the type of bra that you choose.

The good news is that there is a very wide selection of mastectomy bras to choose from, the choice of styles and fabrics have greatly improved over the years and shopping for a mastectomy bra really should be no different when compared to shopping for any other type of bra.

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