What bras did you find most comfortable post surgery or maybe I should be asking, what bras did you find most tolerable? (Not initially after but a few weeks after surgery).
Thanks in advance for your responses. I'm asking on behalf of someone else.
Also, we are currently working to create a lung cancer surgery booklet and would love to hear any other post surgery tips you find important to share with others!
Thanks!
For me it was a soft cotton sports-type bra with a wide bottom all the way around and wide straps. It has a front closure with 8-9 hook and eyes. There are several manufacturers but I found mine at Walmarts and Meijers stores, they're also available at Amazon.
Also, contact the tech who helps breast cancer patients for fittings.
I am small busted, so for me I just wore a cotton camisole.
After my open surgery (thoracotomy) left lobectomy in Dec 2010 I needed to wear a bra (both for appearance, support and comfort - 38D at the time). I am in the UK
I had been wearing wired bras but found the pressure on the wound site too uncomfortable. I visited a specialist lingerie shop - the assistant advised to increase the band to the next size to release pressure on the wound/scar but keep same cup size in a non wired non padded bra i.e. a 40D. I bought a Felina non wired bra with wide straps - not cheap but made me feel both comfortable and supported as I returned to work.
I have since worn only non wired bras then lost weight as I recovered my pre-surgical activity and much more - ended up a 32B! I then wore a padded non wired bra - the smallest I'd been since my teens! In recent years gained weight after steroids/medication/less activity since pandemic , increased bra size and still wear non wired bras.
Many on patient forums wear bralettes. Some used to say they would wear sports bras but the latter are not recommended as they compress the chest too much and may impair breathing/lung redevelopment/reconditioning immediately post surgery.
I contribute to Roy Castle lung cancer foundation patient literature and had a piece inserted about bras post surgery. It's a common area on patient forums yet rarely mentioned in literature so they inserted a paragraph but wouldn't include several references I suggested to the various suppliers of non wired bras at different prices including Royce, Felina, Bravissimo. Department stores stock limited designs of non wired bras (often nursing, teen or post mastectomy bras). I contacted several bra manufacturers advising them of this overlooked market as discussions with lingerie assistants/fitters showed a lack of awareness by fitters that other surgery could affect the chest/bra area not only breast surgery. This has now been taken up by Royce on their website (under their surgical bras section).
The booklet designed many years ago by my local tertiary centre for thoracic surgery covered many aspects of both the surgery as well as recovery hints/tips and milestones. It was adopted by Roy Castle lung cancer foundation some years ago and is regularly updated by clinicians. It is well received by those about to have or recently had lung surgery. It could have some useful topics to include in your version. The hospital also did a CD/DVD with exercises and breathing tips for post surgery - again some of this is available on Roy Castle foundations website so worth a look.
roycastle.org/app/uploads/2...
Thanks for this, Janette! You were the person that brought that piece to my attention so we reached out to Roy Castle and they are giving us permission to use/ edit the piece. They are a wonderful resource and international partner. Thanks for assisting with that piece and sharing about it and your experience!
You're welcome. Cancer Research UK also sell bras on its Uk online shop including Royce and other manufacturers not only for mastectomy patients although that's the category they put them in. You can search for other stockists of the products but buying through cancer charity's online shop means they receive something for purchases made. Most of Royce's bras are available with or without pockets - choose when ordering direct from them.
After surgery I tried many types of sports bras and bras advertised as post surgery bras. None worked because I couldn’t tolerate any band placed more than an inch or two above my waist. This Uwila Warrior “bra” saved me. It is like a light support yoga bra but longer.
I stopped wearing one. It has been liberating.
First 2 weeks my husband's undershirts (I think I also wore a cotton tank top), Post 4-6 weeks True & Co Body Lift found on amazon -similar to a bralette but smooth and soft, no wires or tight compression or hooks so nothing pokes, squeezes or irritates. Found enough lift and coverage for when I returned to work and out and about. I am not well endowed but believe bustier gals will have success with this company. I wear various medium support sports bras (not a lot of compression) for running /yoga /tennis type activities but take them off asap compression still bothers a bit 5 months post. I am very interested in the Uwila Warrior posted above looked great for a sports bra-ty for the recommendation.
I’m going to take a look at the True & Co you used. I’m 14 months out and still have nerve pain. Not too bad, but I don’t think I’ll comfortably wear a bra again.
Such a difficult question! Nine years from chest tubes and pluses catheter (I did not have a lobectomy), I still cannot wear anything with an underwire. During the first year, I often wore a tank top made by Covid that had no band at all but some but if compression and “molding” for breasts. I was eventually able to wear the Coobie bralets. I have yet to find a truly supportive bra that is not uncomfortable for my scars and nerve pain in the area where a bra band goes. I’ll be interested to read the article you are working on!
I’ll take a look at the coobie bracket. Love to get some recommendations. I tried some many. This is helpful.
The True & Co are very soft, again I'm not too busty and feel it provides the support I need but for me its more a coverage thing, I often wear a tank top over it something I started doing prior to surgery and as I got older/ menopause and find them very comfortable. I had a VATS wedge resection so I have 3 small scars that have healed nicely and am 5 months post surgery. While I do not have much nerve pain anymore except some random dull side pain (is it nerve pain, or not used to the new me not really sure ) but for me how it feels against my skin seems to make me like the comfort of these these bras and haven't tried anything else. Exercising I wear zip front amazon bras with medium compression as I need the additional support, but have no interest at all in going back to underwire. I'm very interested in the Uwila as I really like soft and smooth fabric a reason I don't care for the sports bras I've tried as I find the fabric rough. Love the Uwila recommendation as they seem soft and they're from Boston I think and I love to support local businesses 
Immediately post robotic segmentectomy I slept upright against a wedge pillow. Much more comfortable than laying flat. Ice as instructed. Walk, walk, walk. Even just 5 minutes 3x a day at first. The more I walked the better I felt and lung capacity improved. Also, don’t wait too long as I did to insist the meditation for nerve pain is not working! I have a pretty high pain threshold and have had nerve pain from a previous surgery so I thought that I knew what to expect. There was no incision pain to speak of but the nerve pain from this surgery was pretty bad. . I found out after reading the surgical report and immediate post procedure xray that 2 of my ribs were fractured during the robotic surgery. (Yup, had to read it myself, I was not informed). That probably was a factor as well. Gabapentine was prescribed but I continued to have severe nerve pain. The dosage was increased , but didn’t help. Finally was changed to lyrica which worked like a charm! Pain became tolerable. Lesson learned, our bodies react differently to different meds. I still have nerve pain but it’s minor and have been off the meds for several months.
After surgery, I wore a cami and a botton up shirt over it to try and conceal I was braless. I was too old and too large to look nice braless. Then a couple of months later I had to wear a dress to a party. I went several places but no one could find something good for me. Finally, I was told to try a Spanx wireless, front closure bra. It was a great find.
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