-> Can anyone give me the name of a good supplier please? How do others
-> manage? I can't believe that I am the only person in the World with
-> this problem.
My brother has used a cuirass shell for over ten years. I used
to use one, but eventually had to go to a trach.
I don't know anything about the UK, but since my brother and I
live in California we are lucky enough to have access to a very fine
facility, the Rehabilition Engineering Dept. of The Lucille Salter
Packard Hospital (formerly Stanford Children's Hospital) in Palo Alto.
My brother cuirasses are made by an orthotist (a.k.a. brace
maker). It seems to me any orthotist with the skill and equipment to
vacuum mold plastics should be able to make a cuirass using one of your
old ones as a pattern. If not, he should be able to make a pattern by
making a plaster cast of your torso. That is how they make my brothers.
Even though Monihan went out of business, there are other
negative pressure machines available. In fact, my brother uses a
Monihan clone machine made by a company called LifeCare Inc. However,
I doubt if this company does business in the UK. Good luck!
Blane
:)