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The initiative was created by professionals from the Zaragoza hospital, in collaboration with the Spanish Association Against Cancer and AMAC – GEMA
«I'm going home"That's the simple name of an initiative that starts in the Miguel Servet University Hospital (HUMS) of Zaragoza to try to make the return home as simple as possible for women who have to undergo breast cancer surgery.
The project is specifically aimed at patients who are discharged from the hospital with drains after surgery. To improve their recovery, a t-shirt with two inner pockets has been designed, allowing them to carry the surgical drains safely, comfortably, and discreetly. Although it looks like an ordinary garment, its design reduces discomfort, anxiety, and fear in the first few days after surgery, promoting independence, mobility, and social life.
This morning, this humanization proposal, created by professionals from the Zaragoza hospital in collaboration with the Spanish Association Against Cancer and the AMAC-GEMA association, was presented at the HUMS.
The project idea arose from the experience of a healthcare professional at the hospital who underwent a bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction due to breast cancer. Upon returning home with four drains, she realized how difficult they were to manage and how they complicated her daily activities. She was the one who conducted the first tests with T-shirts incorporating two large inner pockets to hold the drains and their respective tubing.
The Spanish Association Against Cancer has funded the production of the t-shirts and actively collaborated on their design, key support that has allowed all patients who have undergone surgery to receive this garment free of charge. Their contribution, along with that of Amac Gema, has been fundamental in transforming a need identified by healthcare professionals into a real, accessible solution with an immediate impact on the patients' quality of life.
Since the project began, more than 30 patients have participated. Preliminary results show that most patients feel safer and able to resume their daily activities, and report a significant improvement in their emotional well-being. “Thanks to this t-shirt, the first few days at home have been much easier. I feel safe and comfortable, and I can continue with my daily life without so much fear or worry,” said patient María Teresa Moreno.
In 2025, the hospital's General Surgery and Gynecology departments performed a combined 502 breast cancer surgeries. Approximately one-third of the patients were operated on by General Surgery and two-thirds by Gynecology, a unit dedicated exclusively to breast pathology.
Since the pilot project began with twenty people, the Surgery Department has been surveying patients to assess the initiative's impact. Those affected, aged between 30 and 85, with one to three drains, responded positively in all cases, confirming that the garment offers comfort, facilitates mobility, promotes independence, and allows for a return to social life from the very first days. The project has now also been implemented in the Gynecology Department, benefiting any woman who has undergone breast cancer surgery at the hospital.
Dr. Menchu Casamayor, Head of the Endocrine, Bariatric and Breast Surgery Section, and Patricia Rubio, Specialist in Gynecology and Breast Pathology, have emphasized the emotional and practical impact of the project: “We don’t just discharge patients, we also support them on their way home. This t-shirt supports every patient who begins their recovery.”
The event was also attended by Mercedes Pinilla, vice president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer in Zaragoza as well as with Mª José Rivas de Amac Gema, and with the fundamental testimony of a patient, who has thanked this help "which completely changes the first days at home".
