Relievvr: A Device for Postoperative Breast Comfort

In 2024, more than 300,000 women in the United States were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Despite significant advances in chemotherapy and radiation, surgery continues to be a central tenet of these patients' care, with most patients requiring surgery for definitive treatment. Postoperative pain control and anxiety surrounding options for pain relief consistently rank as a major concern of patients before surgery. In a nation recovering from an opioid epidemic with more than 100,000 overdose deaths a year, patients and providers alike are looking for nonnarcotic and nonpharmaceutical approaches to mitigate pain. This study is a proof of concept and initial investigation of a novel vibrating device (Relievvr) that is applied directly to the breast to provide sensory input that may modulate patient-perceived discomfort. The study enrolled 22 women undergoing outpatient breast surgery who used the device as part of their postoperative protocol. At 2 weeks postoperatively, 95% of women said they would use the device if they had surgery again, and 95% of women said they would recommend the device to a friend having the same surgery. These findings serve as proof of concept that a vibrating device based on the gate control theory of pain can be a feasible, nonopioid adjunct for managing postoperative breast surgery pain, with high levels of patient satisfaction and ease of use.