This disclosure relates to a support garment. More specifically, this disclosure relates to a support garment with an opening that allows a post-surgical drainage tube to pass from a patient to a collection reservoir without obstructing the drainage flow.
Support garments are known in the art. Typically, support garments are in the form of a bra and include two molded cups in the front, back straps that extend from the cups to the back of the wearer, and a pair of shoulder straps. Bras often further include a rigid underwire at the lower base of the cups and a hook and eye type fastener at the opposing ends of the back straps. Athletic bras, on the other hand, often eliminate the rigid underwires, back straps, and fasteners found in a traditional bra, and instead are made of an elastic material that is slipped over the head to be worn.
Common surgical procedures performed on a woman's breasts, such as a mastectomy, lumpectomy, or quandrantectomy, often conclude with the placement of a post-surgical drainage tube within the woman (typically below the underarm) to permit the drainage of blood and other fluids from the surgical site to aid in recovery and healing. Further, the surgical procedures above often result in a substantial amount of post-operative pain and discomfort, as well as decreased arm and shoulder mobility.
Thus, a need exists for a support garment capable of accommodating a post-surgical drainage tube that also provides increased comfort and can be worn without having to raise the arms to be slipped over the head.
One possible advantage of the present disclosure is achieved by providing a support garment sufficient for accommodating a post-surgical drainage tube.
A further possible advantage of the present disclosure is achieved by providing a support garment with an aperture sufficient for accommodating a post-surgical drainage tube.
Still yet another advantage of the present disclosure is achieved by providing a support garment that permits the unobstructed flow of fluid through a post-surgical drainage tube.
The present disclosure realizes still yet another advantage by providing a support garment with a fastener in the front for simplified application and removal.
Yet another advantage of the present disclosure is achieved by providing a support garment with a seamless inner liner for increased comfort.
Various embodiments of the invention may have none, some, or all of these advantages. Other technical advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.
For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages, reference is now made to the following descriptions, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
The present invention relates to a post-surgical support garment that is particularly configured to allow a post-surgical drainage tube to pass through the support garment unobstructed, thereby permitting the release of blood and lymphatic fluid from under the skin following surgery, thus encouraging healing and recovery. The garment is particularly configured to be worn by a woman following breast surgery. In one embodiment of the invention the support garment is a bra. It is also envisioned that the garment may be worn by men and configured to accommodate the male physical form. In one non-limiting embodiment of the present invention, the garment employs a series of interconnected panels of elastic material joined together in such a way that an aperture is formed in the garment sufficient for the passage of a post-surgical drainage tube. In one particular embodiment, the support garment has shoulder straps. In another embodiment, the support garment is strapless. In yet another embodiment, the elastic material is a cellulosic material including cellulose and seaweed, such as SeaCell®, a therapeutic material that has a level of compression and composition that aids in comfort and healing. The various components of the present invention, and the manner in which they interrelate, are described in greater detail hereafter.
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In accordance with the present invention, further envisioned is a post-surgical drainage tube 36 extending through at least one of a pair of apertures 38, each aperture 38 formed between each side panel 30 and the rib band 12 and sufficient for permitting the post-surgical drainage tube 36 to pass through the support garment 10 unobstructed, thereby permitting the flow of blood and other fluids through the tube. In another embodiment of the invention, a collection reservoir is connected to the distal end of the tube for receiving the blood and other fluids from the post-surgical drainage tube that has been inserted into a patient.
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Although this disclosure has been described in terms of certain embodiments and generally associated methods, alterations and permutations of these embodiments and methods will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the above description of example embodiments does not define or constrain this disclosure. Other changes, substitutions, and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure.