Australia
PRO Support Vest
After median sternotomy — open-heart surgery
from $335.50 inc. GST
ThoraxBelt
After thoracotomy, and for rib injury
from $58.30 inc. GST
Chestfix
Universal-fit stabilisation, including after TAVI
$60.50 inc. GST
Choosing
Compare all three
Find my size
The full range
Before you buy
Fitting videos
Health-fund rebate
Sizing help — 1300 707 222
Four randomised controlled trials in peer-reviewed cardiothoracic journals, inside a twelve-study programme of 12,512 patients in seven countries.
Less friction at the sternal edges means deeper breaths and an effective cough.
Pain is the main reason patients stay still. Remove it and rehabilitation starts sooner.
A protected wound and a stable sternum through the six to eight weeks bone needs.
Each product stabilises the chest wall in the axis its surgery leaves vulnerable. Choose by procedure — or call and we will help you choose.
Compare all three side by side →Private health rebate
Australian patients routinely claim the Support Vest through the extras cover on their private health policy — commonly $100 to $300 back, depending on the fund and what is left of the annual limit.
Cover differs between funds and policies — check yours before you buy if the rebate is decisive.
A sternotomy leaves two halves of bone held only by wire. Every cough, every push out of a chair, every seatbelt jolt moves them against each other. That movement is what hurts — and it is what delays healing.
Two cushions sit either side of the wound and apply light front-to-back pressure. Biomechanical testing showed a positive effect specifically in the anteroposterior axis — the movement implicated in sternal complications.
When friction at the sternal edges is minimised, patients breathe more deeply and clear their airway instead of splinting. That is how support devices protect lung function, not just the wound.
Patients describe it as a firm hug that replaces the cushion they carry everywhere. Sitting, standing, sleeping and travelling stop being negotiations with pain.
Fitted in hospital where possible and worn continuously for six to eight weeks — the time bone needs. It can be washed at home at up to 60°C on a gentle cycle.
Patients & families
The size chart, how to measure, and what to do if you are between sizes.
Sizing guide →Surgeons & nurses
Four randomised controlled trials and a 2024 meta-analysis, with full references.
Clinical evidence →Hospitals & ICU
Pack quantities, ward workflow, evaluation units and purchase orders.
For hospitals →Cost
How Australian patients claim the vest through private health extras — step by step.
Rebate guide →“Consequent application of the Posthorax vest reduced deep sternal wound complications by 63%.”
“The findings proved a positive biomechanical effect of the support vest in the anteroposterior movement.”
“It protected the sternum wound from the seat belt rubbing, as well as from bumps and jolts along the way.”
Can’t find it here? Call 1300 707 222 — a person answers, and we talk to patients every day.
All questionsExternal support limits front-to-back movement of the breastbone while it heals. In four randomised trials, patients given the Posthorax vest had fewer sternal wound complications — the largest reported a 54% lower relative risk of deep sternal complications. Always follow your surgeon’s advice.
Six to eight weeks for the bone to knit. The vest is worn day and night through that window, then stopped as your surgeon advises.
Vest size is not shirt size. Measure around the chest below the armpits and above the nipple line, then match the chart on our sizing guide. Between two sizes, choose the smaller.
Many Australian patients claim a rebate through extras cover — commonly $100 to $300 depending on the policy. Every order comes with the tax invoice your fund needs. See the rebate guide.
Yes — at home, up to 60°C, gentle cycle. Hotter washing damages the padding and changes how pressure is distributed. Not suitable for hospital laundry.
