WTP6.07 Post-operative undergarment support: what are patients told?

Aims ABS/BAPRAS Oncoplastic Guidelines state all women should be informed about post-operative undergarment support & recommends consideration of undergarment support 24/7 for 6 weeks post-operatively. This audit aimed to assess practice against these standards. Methods A retrospective audit (ID 6142) of all patients undergoing breast surgery at a university hospital was carried out over a 7-week period (September-November 2024). Advice on immediate post-operative undergarment support documented in the operation note, discharge summary & Breast Care Nurse (BCN) notes was reviewed. Results Of a total of 105 operations, 80% (n=84) included advice on post-operative undergarments in the operation note +/- discharge summary, whilst 70% (n=74) specified the duration. 2 weeks (n=62) was most frequently recommended, with a range of 2 weeks–6 months. A variety of bra types were recommended: ‘supportive’ (n=60), ‘well supported’ (n=9), ‘soft’ (n=8), 'non-constrictive' (n=1), 'surgical' (n=1) & ‘bra & binder’ (n=6). Discussion of post-operative undergarment advice by BCNs was documented for 40 patients (38%). Table 1:Undergarment advice & duration per procedure.ProcedureTotalAdvice givenDuration specifiedMedian duration (weeks)WLE/ margin re-excision4545(100%)42(93%)2Oncoplastic1110(91%)9(82%)2Mastectomy124(33%)2(17%)0Mastectomy+ implant44(100%)4(100%)2DIEP+/- mastectomy66(100%)6(100%)6Other2715(56%)11(41%)2Total10584(80%)74(70%) Conclusions Advice on immediate post-operative undergarment support varies & is clinician and procedure dependent. Breast biomechanics research may help determine breast support requirements to inform optimal post-operative bra advice.