Patent Grant
7666058
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a compression stabilizing, supporting and positioning bra for addressing and/or correcting synmastia complications in reconstructive breast surgeries.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cosmetic breast surgeries and surgical breast reconstruction following a mastectomy typically require that the newly configured breasts be stably positioned and supported on the underlying tissues postoperatively. In particular, breast implants tend to move postoperatively in the case of breast augmentation and breast reconstructions (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,348, F. G. Farino and U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,331, M. W. Corrado). For mastopexy (breast lift) and mammoplasty (breast reduction) procedures, postoperative support and positioning is critical for reshaping the breast.
In more detail, a woman's breasts consist of a framework of connective tissue and a system of glands and ducts that produce milk. Fat makes up the majority of the breast tissue. Behind the breast tissue are the pectoralis muscles. The connective tissues supporting the breasts are skin and ligaments, both of which are somewhat elastic and do stretch. Accordingly, distortions due to postoperative swelling caused by excessive buildup of fluid in the tissues responsive to the surgical incisions, and tissue removal must be addressed, in order to assure that the skin and surgically relocated breast tissues properly reattach to underlying supportive tissue layers for the desired breast configuration.
Synmastia is a rare but severe complication of breast enhancement surgery that can occur when the breast implants are positioned toward the middle of the chest in an effort to provide more cleavage. Synmastia complications are for the most part a result of undue stress lifting the midline tissues from the sternum. For example, the plastic surgeon may deliberately or otherwise disturb the connective and support near the sternum in an effort to bring the augmented breasts closer together. Synmastia can also occur where breast implants are simply too large for a woman's anatomy. It may also occur because of a woman's anatomy and genetic makeup.
In particular, breast implants typically are composed of incompressible but flexible, flowable mediums and can extrude toward the sternum lifting the skin and/or muscle/connective tissues from the breast bone merging the breasts together to form a connected mass. In fact the term synmastia means ‘one breast’.
The synmastia complication may occur at the time of breast augmentation surgery, shortly after surgery or within a few months of the breast enhancement surgery. The better practice is to address the synmastia complication before it occurs where circumstances indicate it might be anticipated, and when not anticipated, to attempt a repair of the complication soon as it occurs. The reason is that if the condition is left unattended, the skin and connective tissues of the chest will be stretched, distorting breast and nipple/areola symmetry. Abnormal stretched breast skin and nipple deviations are usually very difficult to correct. Some women with long standing synmastia conditions necessarily elect to have the synmastia complication corrected without correction of associated nipple and areola distortions.
Correcting synmastia has typically involved a secondary breast surgery using several different techniques that depend on the woman's unique set of circumstances
A compression stabilizing, supporting and positioning bra for addressing and/or correcting synmastia complications in reconstructive breast surgeries includes a wide, cotton-lined, unidirectional elastic, torso band adjustably encircling the woman's thoracic torso immediately below the inframammary skinfold, a flared trapezoidal shaped, sternum compression panel secured at its base to the upper edge of the torso band below the inframammary skinfold and at the top, by a pair of adjustable shoulder straps for elastically compressing sternum tissues while restraining shaping and separating the inside conically rising, side portions of a woman's breasts, a pair of breast support cups/flaps also fastened to the upper edge of the torso band each secured at the top by an adjustable support strap, and elastic side panels fastened to the breast cup/flaps and the upper edge of the torso band for anchoring the respective shoulder straps of the sternum compression panel and breast cups/flaps supporting, restraining and shaping the outside, conical rising side portions of the woman's breasts.
Looking at
The bra 11 is adjustably fastened together around the woman's torso 13 at the back, using three or more rows of eye fasteners 26 at the tab end 31 of the torso band 12 and a row of hook fasteners 27 at the other tab end 32 of the torso band 12. The over-the-shoulder straps 17 and 22 are adjusted using conventional adjustable sliders 28, and include conventional detachable hook closures 20 for hooking onto elastic loop straps 25 & 29 respectively fastened at the top of the trapezoidal shaped, sternum compression panel 16 and at the top of each breast cup/flap 21.
The physician and/or the patient sets the compression exerted by the a flared trapezoidal shaped, sternum compression panel 16 by adjusting the elastic tension of the over the shoulder straps 17 attaching the sternum compression panel 16 to the respective elastic side panels 23 on the back torso 13 of the patient.
The synmastia compression bra is fabricated from conventional elastic fabrics as specified in the above table referencing its components. The specific details disclosed herein should be interpreted as suggestions addressing design factors to be considered by those skilled in the art for creating preferred designs for such garments.
This application relates to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/889,882, Confirmation No. 5453 filed 14 Feb. 2007 entitled SYNMASTIA COMPRESSION BRA, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and claims any and all benefits to which it is entitled thereby.
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| 3419895 | Stephensen | Dec 1968 | A |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080194178 A1 | Aug 2008 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60889882 | Feb 2007 | US |
