Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Prostheses and appliances after cancer surgery in Hyderabad | CION Cancer Clinics
Some cancer operations leave you needing something fitted or worn afterwards, such as a breast form, a voice valve, a plate for the roof of the mouth, an artificial limb or stoma bags. Many do not. In Hyderabad these are usually arranged through your surgical team first, then refitted or bought from specialist suppliers. This page explains each item, when it is fitted, and how to ask about cover. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Muralidhar MuddusettyConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery, AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- Will you need a prosthesis or appliance after cancer surgery?
- Which prostheses and appliances are most common after cancer surgery?
- When is each item fitted, from surgery to home?
- What do families often get wrong about prostheses?
- Should you get it through the hospital or a supplier?
- Who pays for a prosthesis in Hyderabad?
- Common questions about prostheses and appliances
The short answer
Will you need a prosthesis or appliance after cancer surgery?
Some operations leave you needing something fitted or worn afterwards, and many do not. In Hyderabad, most of these items are arranged through the surgical team first, then bought or refitted from specialist suppliers in the city.
What the words mean
A prosthesis replaces a part of the body that was removed. A breast form, a plate that fills a gap in the roof of the mouth, and an artificial leg are all prostheses. An appliance is something you wear or use to manage a change, such as a stoma bag, a compression sleeve or a tracheostomy tube.
Why it is worth asking before the operation
Some items need planning before the day. A dental plate for the mouth is often measured in advance. A stoma nurse may mark the best spot on your tummy. If nobody has mentioned it, ask your surgeon plainly: will I need anything fitted, who arranges it, and when?
Who this page does not cover
Implants placed inside the body during reconstruction, such as breast implants or metal joint replacements, are part of the operation itself. Your surgeon explains those separately.
This page explains what exists. It cannot tell you which item suits your body or your operation.What people use
Which prostheses and appliances are most common after cancer surgery?
Each one belongs to a different kind of operation. You will usually need only one of these, if any.
Breast forms and pocketed bras
After a mastectomy, a soft light form is worn first while the wound heals. A weighted silicone form comes later and sits in a bra with a pocket, so it stays in place and balances your posture.
Voice prosthesis
After removal of the voice box, a small one-way valve may be placed between the windpipe and food pipe so you can speak. It needs regular cleaning and replacement by a trained speech therapist or surgeon.
Obturator for the palate
When part of the upper jaw or palate is removed, a dental plate fills the gap. It helps with speech and stops food and liquid going into the nose.
Made by
- A prosthodontist, a dentist trained in replacement parts
Artificial limb
After an amputation, a limb is built and fitted once the stump has healed and settled in shape. Walking with it takes training with a physiotherapist.
Stoma bags and supplies
Bags, base plates and skin care for a colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. These are a lifelong monthly purchase for a permanent stoma.
Compression sleeves
For arm or leg swelling after lymph nodes are removed, called lymphoedema. A trained therapist measures you, because a badly fitting sleeve can make it worse.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistThe order of things
When is each item fitted, from surgery to home?
-
Before the operation
Impressions of the mouth for a palate plate, a marked stoma site, or a talk with the speech therapist about voice after surgery. Ask whether this step applies to you.
-
In the operating theatre or ward
A temporary plate, a first stoma bag or a voice valve may be placed during the operation itself. The nurses will show your family how each one works.
-
At discharge
You go home with a starter supply and a soft temporary form where needed. Write down the exact product names and sizes before you leave the ward.
-
Once the wound has healed
The permanent breast form, the final palate plate or the artificial limb is fitted. Radiotherapy, if planned, can delay this step.
-
Over the following years
Bodies change shape and weight. Plates loosen, valves wear out and forms need replacing, so plan for refitting rather than a single purchase.
!
One thing that cannot wait
If a voice prosthesis falls out, or you start coughing every time you drink, contact your head and neck team or go to an emergency department the same day. The opening can narrow quickly without the valve. Do not push the valve back in yourself, and do not wait until your next appointment.
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Commonly believed
What do families often get wrong about prostheses?
"Any breast form from a shop will do."
A form that is too light rides up, and one that is too heavy pulls on the shoulder. A proper fitting takes a short visit and makes a real difference to comfort through the day.
"The palate plate is fitted once and lasts for life."
The mouth keeps changing as it heals, especially after radiotherapy. Plates are usually adjusted or remade more than once. A plate that hurts or leaks needs to go back to the dentist who made it.
"An artificial leg means walking normally within days."
The stump has to heal and shrink first. Learning to walk with a limb takes regular training and patience. Some people use a wheelchair or walker for part of the day as well, and that is not a failure.
"Wearing a sleeve means the cancer is back."
Swelling after lymph nodes are removed is a result of the operation, not a sign of cancer returning. New swelling should still be checked by your team, because it can have other causes.
Where it comes from
Should you get it through the hospital or a supplier?
Through the surgical team
From an outside supplier
Palate plates, voice valves and the first stoma bags
Repeat stoma supplies, bras and replacement sleeves
Fitted by the person who knows your operation
Needs the exact product name, size and a prescription
More likely to be part of an approved scheme package
Usually paid from your own pocket
Refitting is booked with your follow-up
Compare prices, but check the brand matches
Paying for it
Who pays for a prosthesis in Hyderabad?
It depends on the item and your cover. Items placed during the operation are often inside the surgical package. Items you buy after discharge often are not.
Schemes and insurance
Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS each set their own rules about what is included. Cashless insurance policies differ too, and many leave out external items worn at home. Ask the hospital's insurance desk to check before surgery, and keep every bill and prescription.
Help for artificial limbs
After an amputation, a disability certificate can open government support for limbs and mobility aids. The social worker or physiotherapist at your centre can tell you what to apply for and where.
What this page cannot tell you
Prices vary widely by brand, material and fitting, so we have not put figures here. Ask for a written estimate that names the product. There is no EMI offer at CION.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about prostheses and appliances
Where can I get a breast form fitted in Hyderabad?
Ask the breast surgery team or nurse first. They usually know which fitters in the city have private rooms and trained staff. Take a soft form or a pocketed bra from the ward with you, and go for the permanent fitting only once your surgeon says the wound has healed.
Can I travel home to my district with a stoma or voice valve?
Yes, most people do. Carry spare supplies for the whole journey and a little extra, plus a written list of the product names and sizes. Supplies can be hard to find outside Hyderabad, so ask your supplier whether they courier to your town.
Does Aarogyasri cover a prosthesis?
Sometimes, when the item is part of the approved surgical package. Items bought later for use at home are often not included. The rules change, so ask the scheme desk at your hospital to check your case before surgery rather than after the bill arrives.
My mother is embarrassed to be fitted. What can we do?
Ask for a woman fitter and a private room. Most people feel shy at the first visit and relieved by the end. A daughter or sister can come in with her. If she prefers to wait, a soft form is fine for now.
How do I clean a palate plate?
Your dentist will show you. In general, it comes out after meals and at night, and is rinsed and brushed gently. Do not use boiling water or bleach, which can bend or damage it. If it starts to hurt or leak, take it back rather than filing it yourself.
Is a compression sleeve something I can buy at a medical shop?
Some shops stock them, but the size matters a lot. A sleeve that is too tight can trap swelling in the hand. Get measured by a trained therapist first, then buy the size they write down. Wear it the way they show you.
Will people be able to tell I am wearing one?
Usually not, once it fits well. A well-fitted breast form sits level under ordinary clothes, and stoma bags lie flat. Speech with a voice valve sounds different, and that is often the change people notice most. A speech therapist helps you get used to it.
Who do I call if something stops fitting?
Start with whoever made or fitted it: the dentist for a plate, the fitter for a form, the limb centre for a leg. If there is pain, bleeding, a wound that opens or trouble breathing, contact your surgical team instead. You can also call the CION helpline to be pointed in the right direction.
Meet the Specialists
17+ senior cancer specialists. One panel for your case.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vinay Mamidala
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
Surgical Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Radiation Oncologist
Hematologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Vajja Sandeep Kumar
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Surgical Oncologist
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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. A surgical consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where the operation itself takes place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- NHS — Breast cancer in women: treatment
- Cancer Research UK — Laryngeal cancer
- NHS — Colostomy
- National Cancer Institute — Surgery to treat cancer
- Macmillan Cancer Support — Cancer information and support
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Stoma Care Nurses and Supplies in HyderabadWhere to find stoma nurses and repeat suppliesPhysiotherapy and Rehabilitation Services in HyderabadTraining to walk with a limb or use a sleeveCost, Insurance and Schemes for Cancer SurgeryWhat packages and policies usually includeRecovery, Eating and Getting Back to LifeThe wider recovery these items fit into
Talk to us
Not sure what will be needed after the operation?
Tell us what has been planned so far and we will help you reach the right specialist to ask. One helpline serves every CION centre.