After a mastectomy, getting dressed can become one of the harder parts of the day, and follow-up visits often mean being examined again and again. Choosing what you wear ahead of time is one small thing you can settle before surgery.
Ask Your Care Team First
Your surgical team knows your incisions, dressings and any restrictions on lifting your arms. Ask them what you can wear, when you can wear it, and how they will need to reach the area at follow-up visits. Their answer comes before anything you read here.
Why Front-Opening Clothing Comes Up So Often
A garment that opens down the front does not have to go over your head, and a care team can reach the front of the body without asking you to undress completely. That is the thinking behind the two options below.
Options to Consider
- The GIV Forward is a full-length, front-opening patient gown. It closes with magnets or snaps instead of back ties. The care team can release one fastener at a time or open the whole front, and the back stays covered.
- The GIV Forward Shirt offers the same front access at shirt length, for visits when the rest of your clothing can stay on.
A Note on Closures
Both come with magnets or snaps. Choose snaps for MRI and imaging settings, and tell your care team about any implanted device or other reason to avoid magnets, then follow their guidance.
The Pink Collection
The GIV Forward and GIV Forward Shirt are also part of The Pink Collection, where 5% of every purchase is donated directly to Susan G. Komen.
Giving One to Someone You Love
If someone close to you has surgery coming up, a gown she can use at every follow-up visit is a practical gift. See GIV a Gown.
Bringing It With You
Many people do not realize they can ask to wear their own gown. Here is how to bring your own. Show your care team how it opens, and let them have the final say on what works for your recovery.
