Caring for a woman who has had a mastectomy? If so, you will want to help her select a prosthesis that best suits her needs. When recommending a product, always consider your client's comfort, breast size, and finances. Remind her that many insurance companies will pay part of the cost if the prosthesis is prescribed by her health care provider.

Advise your client against buying a permanent prosthesis until her health care provider says it is okay. The health care provider will probably want her to wait until the incision is healed and complications are unlikely. Explain that in many cases, money spent on a prosthesis soon after surgery is wasted. Why? Because the incision site changes greatly during the first few weeks following surgery.

In the meantime, help your client make a temporary prosthesis she can wear in the hospital and during her first days at home. To do this, try putting cotton inside a pre-mastectomy bra. When your client feels up to it, suggest she sew a pocket inside the bra to hold the padding.

When advising your client about her permanent prosthesis, consider giving her one to examine.



Remember to cover these points:

• Emphasize the importance of wearing a well-fitted prosthesis. If she does not have one, she may develop poor posture or muscle strain because of unequal weight distribution (particularly if she has large breasts).



• Tell her that the American Cancer Society "Reach To Recovery Program" can help her obtain a prosthesis.


American Cancer Society (ACS): Reach To Recovery


• Inform her about the types of prosthesis available. Some are filled with silicone gel or liquid; others contain small pellets of plastic or birdseed; and a few are made of foam. They may be covered with soft rubber, plastic, or cloth and may or may not have nipples. Most prostheses are placed inside a pocket in a bra, but some are attached directly to the chest skin with adhesive.



• Remind your client/patient that no matter which type of prosthesis she selects, she should follow the manufacturer's instructions to care for it properly. She will probably have to wash it each night, pat it dry and place it in its container so it will retain it's shape. Tell your client/patient that the prosthesis will lose its soft consistency after a year or so and she will have to replace it.

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BREAST PROSTHESIS PRODUCTS

Amazon.com has a large selection of breast prosthesis, form, bras and care items available. These are only a few selected items. Use the Amazon.com search box to find more available products.







MOONDRAGON'S BREAST CANCER LINKS

Learning About Breast Cancer

Learning About Breast Surgery

Understanding Breast Tumor Staging

Familiarizing Yourself With Diagnostic Techniques

Understanding Fibrocystic Breast Disease

Guide To Types of Mastectomies

Patient Preparation For A Mastectomy

Mastectomy Care After Surgery

Learning About Breast Reconstruction

Selecting A Prosthesis

Applying An Arm Sleeve and Gauntlet

Preventing Complications After A Mastectomy

RELATED LINKS

MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information: Breast Cancer

MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information: Breast Reconstruction

MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information: Fibrocystic Breast Changes

MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information: Mammography

MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information: Mastectomy

MoonDragon's ObGyn Womens Health Information: Partial Mastectomy

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HELPFUL PRODUCTS & FURTHER EDUCATION Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-To-Z Guide To Supplements -- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 2nd Edition Prescription for Nutritional Healing: The A-To-Z Guide To Supplements -- by Phyllis A. Balch, James F. Balch - 4th Edition Prescription for Herbal Healing: The A-To-Z Reference To Common Disorders -- by Phyllis A. Balch The Complete Guide to Natural Healing This is only a small sample of educational materials and products available through Amazon.com. Use the search box provided below to search for a particular item. If you see a suggested Amazon product "not there" as indicated by an orange box with the Amazon logo, this only means the specific product link has been changed by Amazon.com. Use the "click here" icon on the orange box and it will bring you to Amazon.com and you can do a search for a specific product using keywords and a new list of available products and prices will show. Their product and resource links are constantly changing and being upgraded. Many times there are more than one link to a specific product. Prices will vary between product distributors so it pays to shop around and do price comparisons. Educational materials and health products are available through Amazon.com. Use the search box provided below to search for a particular item.

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