Prosthetics After Breast Cancer Surgery

Having opted for reconstructive surgery after my double mastectomy, I have always focused on that aspect of dealing with postoperative breast cancer surgery.  Therefore, I was rather surprised when something popped into my mind that reminded me about the option of breast prostheses also known as breast forms. I realized that I had only known one person who had shared that she used prostheses after her surgeries and that discussion had taken place a number of years ago. So, I was compelled to look into the world of breast forms and was pleasantly surprised by what I learned.

“With a little searching on the Internet, you will quickly learn what you need to know before you make any choices and if you are not comfortable in researching for yourself, don’t hesitate to ask the personnel in your oncologist’s office if they know of any help or resources in your community to assist you with this.”Barbara Jacoby

Breast forms today are made of silicone gel, foam or fiber filled. Some prostheses slip into pockets that are included in bras and camisoles or they can be sewn into regular bras. There are adhesive magnets that attach to your breast area with the other part of the magnet being attached to the back of the prosthesis. Choosing a prosthesis is done at any time from immediately after the surgery or at any time on down the line whenever you might choose. Because of the wide variety of choices, you will definitely need to have a professional assist you in most cases. But, before any decisions are made you would be wise to check with your insurance company to find out what if any of the costs they pay. You will find that quite often your choices are limited by how often they are willing to pay for which types of prostheses they are willing to cover, how often they are willing to replace them and what coverage you may have for post mastectomy bras.

There is also a “Knitted Knockers” charity that has a group of volunteers across the USA who knit and crochet prosthetic breast forms that serve a woman’s needs quite well. They feel real and are softer and more comfortable than the silicone ones. There are also several groups in other countries that supply them around the world and they are FREE. You can also go to the breastcancerfreebies.com website to obtain free patterns to make your own.

You do have options; so many more that were available just a few years ago. With a little searching on the Internet, you will quickly learn what you need to know before you make any choices and if you are not comfortable in researching for yourself, don’t hesitate to ask the personnel in your oncologist’s office if they know of any help or resources in your community to assist you with this. I am sure that you won’t be the first person who as ever asked them for this help.