Amoena's Climate Control Breast Form addresses key issues: weight of prothesis and perspiration

MARIETTA, Ga. - It took Amoena almost a year to determine if women would embrace its new Climate Control Breast Form, but now there is no doubt. It's the company's best selling product, said product manager Meg Candelario-Pena. There's a good reason for that, said Tammy Lawson a mastectomy fitter at B&K Home Medical Services in Tiffin, Ohio. "I love it," Lawson said. "A lot of patients complain in the summertime that they don't want to wear a prosthesis because it is hot and feels like it is sticking to them. It feels like it is not real, and the whole point of having a prosthesis is to make them feel like they have their breast there." Amoena launched the climate control form last March after other less-than-successful attempts at a lightweight, off-the-shelf prosthesis that minimized sweating. The climate control form includes a removable insert that contains a gel that--similar to how a firefighter's suit works--discourages perspiration by absorbing the body's heat. The result is a "cooling sensation against the body." If the woman does sweat, fabric covering the gel insert absorbs the moisture. The form comes with two pads, one to wear and one to wash. "Amoena is addressing concerns that women have had for years: the weight of the prosthesis and the perspiration problem," said Vicki Jones, founder of the Women's Health Boutique franchise. Amoena's climate control breast form appears to be unique in the women's health market, said Jones and Lawson. Some providers charge more for this form than other off-the-shelf forms, but not all do. Lawson, for example, charges the same, about $300. That said, not every woman wants or needs a climate control breast form. "Depending on a woman's body type, some people are hot all the time and some are cold all the time," Jones said. "This product addresses the women who have had problems with (perspiration), and it's a wonderful solution for them."