A post-operative open heart surgery brassiere in which a roll of padding material is sewn to the bottom edge of each cup. The padding roll has sufficient thickness to lift the connecting material or closure between the two cups above the surface of the chest, such that no portion of the brassiere touches the surgical wound. The brassiere is preferably formed with a front closure for ease of use and wide and/or padded straps for comfort. Additional padding material may be formed on the underside of the front closure in order to lessen the pain associated with any accidental contact between the closure and the wound, such as during bending or stretching.