Mastectomy Swimsuits

About Mastectomies

Many women who are diagnosed with breast cancer may find that surgery is their best option for removing the cancer and improving their health. The problem is that once the surgery is behind them, their bodies can look very different.

Mastectomy is the medical term for breast surgery, and it involves removing breast tissue where cancerous growths have been detected.

There are several types of mastectomy procedures and they may be performed on one or both breasts, depending on the diagnosis.

• A partial mastectomy removes only the affected breast tissue and a small portion of the healthy tissue around it. This is sometimes referred to as a lumpectomy.
• A simple mastectomy involves removing the entire breast, nipple and skin.
• A modified radical mastectomy removes the entire breast, plus the lymph nodes found in the under arms.

As you may surmise, the amount of breast tissue removed determines just how different the area will look after healing. A partial mastectomy may be barely noticeable, but a simple or modified radical mastectomy can cause a dramatic change in a woman's body shape, and in her perception about herself.

Prosthesis

Post-surgery, women have several options for addressing the loss of their breast(s).

• They may choose to accept their new body as it is and go on about their lives.
• Some women choose to have reconstructive surgery to restore the breast area with an implant.
• Other women will opt to wear a prosthesis, a type of breast enhancement that fills in the area removed during surgery.

Prosthesis styles vary, from ones that adhere directly to the skin making it possible to wear a regular bra, to forms meant to be placed inside specially tailored clothing. Let's take a look at how it works.

Mastectomy Swimsuits and Bras

Mastectomy swimsuits and bras both work similarly. Each has built-in pockets in the cups to hold the breast form in place, and this provides a very natural shape similar to the way a woman looked before surgery.

Mastectomy swimsuits are cut to give more coverage on the upper torso, and therefore more control to keep the prosthesis in place. These swimsuits generally come with scoop necklines that completely cover the cleavage, and they also cover most of the side breast area directly under the arms.

Mastectomy swimsuits are available in one pieces, two pieces and plus size swimwear.

Shopping

Mastectomy swimsuits really don't look different from other types of swimwear. This means you can wear one with complete confidence that you won't stand out from the crowd for anything other than your own personal magnetism. Let's look at a few offerings.

Amoena Swimsuits

Amoena's 2007 collection of mastectomy swimwear offers many wonderful choices. If you can't find a bathing suit you like here, you probably can't find one anywhere.

Great choices include:

• A beautiful blue batik/tie-dye one piece.
• A fabulous hot pink bandeau one piece with matching pareo.
• A stunning choice of versatile mastectomy separates that you can mix and match to create an entire swimsuit wardrobe.

Jodee Mastectomy Swimwear

Again, many great choices here.

• Choose separates in just the size you need. A blue print on black, loose tank top goes great with matching black swim shorts. A perfect look if you prefer more overage.
• How about a sassy white polka dot on black swim dress?

Anita Mastectomy Swimwear

Almost too many tempting choices from Anita 2007. You're going to want more than one!

• The tangerine and white scroll print mastectomy bikini is too cute to pass up.
• Anita's purple print mastectomy bikini is a great choice for women who have only had a partial breast removal.
• The basic black one piece is always a classic, especially with rhinestone accents along the neckline.

Conclusion

We've shown just a few samples of mastectomy swimwear available, but as you can see, fashion is definitely not sacrificed to function. These are stylish swimsuits that any woman would love to wear.

Bottom line, mastectomy swimsuits and bras can give women who have had breast surgery a way to feel more confident about their figures again. Healthy self-esteem brings a woman's inner beauty to the surface, and really, couldn't we all use a bit more of that?

External Links

• Imaginis, a breast cancer resource.
• The Woman's Personal Health Resource, a professional service and supplier of women's health products.