Improving After Surgery Recovery Experiences
“Recovawear played a major part during my most intense recovery time. It was a relief to have clothing options that not only was easy to put on and off, but also comfortable and good looking.
As I slowly managed to leave my home for various reasons, it was comforting having my Recovawear as they served their purpose of being an easy wear, but I didn’t have to look as injured as I was.”
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare the number of hospitalisations due to injury has steadily increased each year over the past decade and now exceeds 460,000. 40% of these injuries are due to falls and 13% are transport related. It is estimated by SafeWork Australia that work-related injuries cost the Australian economy $28 billion in 2012-13. Then there are all the planned operations and procedures which are carried out on a daily basis.
There are numerous studies reviewing recovery time from injuries and operations. Although just a single operation, reconstructive knee surgery increased 43% between 2000 and 2015, with secondary surgeries increasing from 4.4% to 6.8% - some of these a result of post-operative injuries. The Government introduced a national preventative-injury program in response.
Of particular interest in many of these medical journals are the ways in which patient recovery time can be managed, improved and enhanced. It has been recognised for a number of years now that successful recovery is aligned to both medical treatment and environmental factors affecting patient wellbeing.
After Surgery Clothing Plays an Important Role
According to research carried out at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki, Finland, after surgery clothing plays an important role in shaping the experiences and perceptions of patient-hood. Given the often-lengthy recovery periods associated with many surgical procedures and the need for medical professionals to be able to provide care, treatment and physiotherapy the importance of effective clothing extends beyond the hospital ward. We all know though, that arriving home from hospital and putting our own clothes on also makes us feel more normal. No one want to wear hospital gowns at home!
We already know that some patients overcome these issues by wearing bigger size clothes. While these might address the comfort issue, they offer no benefits to the healing process and can be a trip hazard. Given that 5% of patients experience some form of re-injury, (In Australia alone that’s 39,350 people suffering post-surgery complications!) clothing that reduces this risk is equally important.
Products which enhance recovery, minimise reinjury and provide psychological support for families really makes a difference to patients well-being. Speeding up recovery time, helping people return to work, reducing the costs of care and improving self-esteem doesn’t just benefit patients - it also matters to their families and treating professionals.
Our Solution
At Recovawear we have designed a growing range of clothes which address the issues of patient comfort, ongoing recovery and day-to-day living. Using soft materials, we have designed fashionable solutions for the difficulties of dealing with recovery after operations and injuries.
The Benefits to Patients
- Opening seams make it easy for recovering patients to easily slide on the clothes. This design minimises movement to the injury whilst dressing. Providing better injury management for shoulder, hip and knee injuries.
- Being able to dress easily enhances the feeling of independence and reduces care costs and support needs.
- The same design feature makes it easy for medical professionals assess injury regions to check the recovery of the patient
- Our products are fashionable, enabling patients to feel more normal and comfortable wearing our products for attending appointments, spending time in public, going to events and work and living a more normal life
- It is important to wear ‘normal’ clothing where possible during recovery to feel empowered, feel in control and see the real benefits to recovery in the patient’s improved mental health.
- The psychological benefits of our clothes make a genuine difference to the wearers self-esteem.
A Breadth of Medical Applications
The design of our clothes make them ideal for orthopaedic patients, but they also offer important benefits for patients suffering with general accidental breaks, those undergoing cancer treatments, diabetic patients, arthritis sufferers, patients with multiple sclerosis and anyone with dexterity issues.
“I used the Recovawear unisex pants which made it possible to have treatment for my osteoarthritic knee pain without the embarrassment and discomfort of stripping to my undies in the doctors treatment room and at my Physio every week. The Recovawear unisex pants were very comfortable to wear and looked great too. The stretch in the material allowed me to pull the pant leg up, rather than undress at all of my appointments”About Recovawear
Recovawear is an adaptive clothing business. We aim to improve the dignity, independence and mental health of patients during their recovery process with our range of specialist clothing. Our initial range of orthopaedic clothing is designed to wrap around injuries to reduce over extension, strain and unnecessary pain in dressing.
Recovawear provides a bridge to aid people in the recovery process in their independent dressing but also improves mental health and wellbeing. By providing a safe, comfortable and ‘everyday were’ alternative to the hospital gown or baggy clothing, it allows the user to return to most of their social and community events with a sense of pride and self-respect.