Breast Prosthetics
Breast forms fitted after a mastectomy.
About breast prosthetics
A breast prosthesis is a breast form worn inside a bra after a mastectomy (an operation to remove a breast), or after an operation that removes part of a breast. It gives you back your shape under your clothes and balances your body, which helps prevent back and neck pain and a dropped shoulder.
We fit breast forms by Amoena, ABC and Selima here at the practice, and bras made to hold them. Medical aids contribute to the cost. We fit you once you have healed from surgery, usually four to eight weeks after it.
Below are the kinds of breast form, the bras made for them, what happens at a fitting, and why some women choose to wear one.
Not sure which you need? Phone us on 011 782 7809 to book an assessment, and we’ll work it out with you. Read what happens at your first visit.
What is a breast prosthesis?
A soft, artificial breast form that replaces all or part of a breast after a mastectomy. Some stick directly to the skin of your chest; others sit in the pocket of a mastectomy bra, a bra made to hold one.
Breast forms are made of silicone gel, foam or fibrefill (a soft fibre filling, like a cushion’s), inside a thin, smooth skin, and feel and move much like a natural breast. You can choose the shape, weight and feel. The front may show the outline of a nipple, and the back, which rests against your skin, comes in different finishes, so you can choose the one that is most comfortable.
A breast form balances your body and stops your bra riding up on that side, which helps prevent back and neck pain and a dropped shoulder.
Types of breast form
Suits: women after a mastectomy, or after part of a breast is removed
- Silicone breast form
- Made of silicone, shaped like a natural breast and made to weigh the same as your other breast, which helps prevent a dropped shoulder and poor balance.
- Light breast form
- Made of foam or fibrefill. You can wear it straight after a mastectomy, and for exercise, swimming and hot weather.
- Attachable breast form
- Fastened to your chest with adhesive strips.
- Post-surgical camisole
- A soft, stretchy vest with lace elastic straps, often worn straight after a mastectomy, a lumpectomy (an operation to remove the tumour and some tissue around it), radiation treatment to the chest, or surgery to rebuild the breast. A light, soft breast form slips into a pocket inside it and can be taken out.
- Partial breast formequaliser or enhancer
- Worn over your own breast to give a fuller shape after part of it has been removed, such as with a lumpectomy. Made of foam, fibrefill or silicone.
Bras for breast forms
Suits: women who wear a breast form
We keep bras made for wearing a breast form. A pocket inside holds the form securely in place, and the straps and band carry its weight comfortably. Medical aids contribute to these too.
Being fitted for a breast form
You can be fitted once you have fully healed from surgery, usually four to eight weeks after it. Wear a close-fitting top to your first fitting, such as a knitted one, so you can see how the shape and size of the breast form match your other breast. Fitted properly, a breast form won’t be noticed.
A breast form usually needs replacing every one to two years, and a mastectomy bra every three months to a year.
Choosing to wear a breast form
Wearing a breast form is a personal choice. Many women choose one so that they look the same in their clothes as they did before surgery. A breast form also:
- Protects your chest and your scars
- Helps balance your posture
- Keeps your bra from shifting sideways or riding up
- Helps prevent a curve in your spine, a dropped shoulder, and muscle pain in your neck and back