Lattice Medical x RougeGorge Lingerie
Lattice Medical and RougeGorge Lingerie present the first evolutionary bra designed to provide adapted breast support after breast reconstruction surgery.
Every year in France, almost 59,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are diagnosed. Of the 22,000 patients who undergo total mastectomy, around 30% will undergo breast reconstruction, either by implanting internal breast prostheses or by autologous reconstruction, i.e. using the patient’s own tissue to recreate breast volume.
With Mattisse, Lattice Medical has developed the first 3D-printed, bioresorbable implant that allows adipose tissue to regenerate naturally, offering an alternative to “conventional” implants.
From the meeting between Lattice Médical and RougeGorge, a lingerie brand committed to women, was born the innovation of this evolving bra. A year of development and collaboration has been necessary to offer this product, specifically designed to accompany the evolution of breast reconstruction proposed by this novel medical technology, which has just been authorized for clinical trials in France.
First clinical trials in France for Mattisse resorbable prosthesis
Lattice Medical will shortly be launching clinical trials in France to prove the efficacy of Mattisse, a “bioprosthesis” designed to reconstruct a breast after cancer. The implant has been under clinical investigation since July 2022 in Georgia, and the study will begin in France and Spain in the coming months.
In the Lille region, sixteen printers are manufacturing these new-style prostheses. Mattisse is made from a biopolymer composed essentially of lactic acid, which naturally resorbs progressively in the body.
Lattice Medical integrates the entire Mattisse manufacturing process. The material is first transformed into filament to feed 3D printers, which produce implants designed to enable the regeneration of adipose tissue using a so-called “autologous” procedure. Lattice’s implant comes in two parts, a base and a dome, with a design inspired by Calais-Caudry lace, the initial activity of Julien Payen, a textile engineer by training and founder of the start-up alongside two doctors and a plastic surgeon from Lille University Hospital.
“A small amount of the patient’s adipose tissue is first sutured to the base, which is then covered with the dome. Once implanted, the tissue regenerates inside, protected as if in a cage, within six months”, explains Julien Payen.
Reconstruction supported by the bra developed with RougeGorge Lingerie
RougeGorge Lingerie has a long-standing commitment to the fight against women’s breast cancer and to supporting women suffering from the disease, and has joined forces with Lattice Médical to develop a bra that meets the specific reconstruction requirements of the Mattisse implant.
RougeGorge brought together the expertise of its stylists and product managers to analyze and create a technical specification based on the needs of patients at different post-operative stages.
A bra that meets three objectives
- A product that best supports the patient’s healing process, with an emphasis on aesthetics, unlike existing products with a medical design.
- A product incorporating contention adapted to post-operative use as part of breast reconstruction to ensure good support.
- A product that takes into account “sensitive” areas due to potential post-operative edema or scarring. Seamless, with no rubbing or “hardness”, these areas are designed as medical aids to healing.
The aim is to bring to market by 2025 / 2026, and for the first time on the scale of a major lingerie retailer, an evolutionary post-operative bra, tested in clinical trials.
“The fight against breast cancer and support for women with the disease is at the heart of our CSR program. Committed to this cause for many years, our teams benefit from real expertise, useful in more ways than one for women going through this ordeal. This is the first time a bra of this type has been developed, and we’re very proud to see the project come to fruition, as part of Mattisse’s future clinical trials,” explains Catherine Gallais, CEO of RougeGorge Lingerie.
“This is a first in every respect: the launch of clinical trials in France of our resorbable implant, accompanied by a bra incorporating the specific features of this evolving reconstruction. We are delighted with this collaboration with RougeGorge Lingerie and look forward to bringing this innovative proposal, developed to guarantee greater well-being for women who have been affected by cancer” concludes Julien Payen, CEO of Lattice Médical.
