External breast prostheses: Brazilian performance parameters

Abstract

Mastectomies are known since 1861 and since then women all around the world try to replace the volume of their breast, when it’s completely removed due to breast cancer treatment. From the Brazilian perspective, as a country that doesn’t cover the expenses of external breast prostheses, some parameters emerge by the manufacture of breast prostheses such as: weight, shape, volume, materials and colors. These are the most important features in the prostheses found in the Brazilian market and this paper discusses prosthesis properties, parameters and the notice that external breast prosthesis are not compensated in Brazil.