QualiBreath 101 - What QualiBreath does for you



This is the second part of a series of Blog posts talking in depth about QualiBreath sternum and thorax support.
In here we are going to go through all the FAQ's one category at a time and we want to give you an easy and simple overview of what this special postoperative product is, what it can do and how you can benefit from it if you have had an open heart surgery or other surgeries in the chest and sternum area. 

What QualiBreath does for you:

1. What can QualiBreath do?
   It gives a constant lateral support to your sternum from the external side to complement the internal sternal closure, and it helps you to manage breathing and pain after surgery in the thoracic cavity, e.g. heart, lung, esophagus operations, and any chest or rib trauma.

2. Is lateral support on the sternum necessary?
   Yes. The two sternum halves are held together by wires or plates after a sternotomy, which are the only force to withstand a concurrent strain of the sternum in lateral direction. Complementing the internal sternal closure with an external lateral support on the sternum from the outside has been shown to be highly effective and to significantly decrease sternal complications. [75,78-84,86]

3. Can QualiBreath give a firm support when it is elastic?
   Yes. The specially selected elastic material is unidirectional and has a precisely monitored elasticity of 100% (+-10%). This results in a firm, yet comfortable support all around the chest. The controlled elasticity combined with the correct sizing and adjustable closure provides a firm circumferential thorax support without jeopardising comfort.

4. Does QualiBreath restrict breathing?
   No. QualiBreath is designed with a calculated height of material with the purpose not to cover the lower lung lobes or the upper abdominal area. The result is that the sternum, the thoracic wall and respiratory muscles are supported, which encourages you to breathe deeper and engage the diaphragm.

   

   
   
   

5. Can QualiBreath relieve pain?
   Yes. The firm, unidirectional, elastic support to the ribs and respiratory muscles during inspiration relieves pain and assists the patients to achieve a more relaxed, deeper breathing.

6. How can QualiBreath assist during coughing or sneezing?
   Thanks to the bar handles which are totally integrated within the material, the patient can easily insert the thumbs under each of the bars and bring them together. This action will reinforce the circumferential thorax support, counteract the increased internal thoracic pressure during coughing or sneezing and thus relieve pain and protect the sternum.

7. Does QualiBreath have any psychological effect?
   Yes. The constant support on the thorax gives you a feeling of being held firmly together thus reducing anxiety about potential harm to the sternal wound from coughing, sneezing or breathing exercises. QualiBreath is a constant reminder for you to protect your sternum, and the bar handles assist you in regaining independence and confidence in your ability to manage yourself anytime without the need for help from hospital personnel.

8. Why is it important to use QualiBreath immediately after surgery?
   The external complementary reinforcement of the internal sternal closure helps to protect the sternum right from the start. Data on pain experience after sternotomy procedures have shown that patients have less pain when they use QualiBreath as early as possible after surgery. (Contact us for details)

If you are interested in reading up on all the references we suggest you have a look at the White Paper "Evaluation of external chest supports based on the entire recovery process in and out of the hospital to avoid offset costs of long term complications and medications" where all references are listed. Furthermore, this publication explains why a postoperative support such as QualiBreath is recommended to help achieve a better and complication free recovery. 

 
In the next blog post we will be discussing how to measure and choose the correct size so be sure to check back or sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date.

Do you have any questions about QualiBreath you would like us to answer ?
Have you used QualiBreath or other chest supports? Tell your story in a comment below. 

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