Thank all of you and question about neck dissection

j3rey
j3rey Member Posts: 57
edited March 2014 in Head and Neck Cancer #1
My husband and I are brand new to all of this. I want to thank you all for posting to this site (and for being brave survivors who are willing to share their stories). It has helped so much to read other's experiences. We feel like we have more questions to ask and more knowledge about what lies ahead.
Can anyone share how long the recovery was from their neck dissection? Did you have physical therapy? I haven't found much about what to expect from this surgery. How long in the hospital? etc. Our surgeon is highly regarded by all onconlogists/radiologists in our area and all have the consensus that they would not hesitate to use him (actually said they would only use him)if they needed this surgery. With that said, as skilled a surgeon as he may be, we have not had a lot of communication about what to expect. He did mention that hubby should be healed up and ready for rads in three weeks. (Yikes!)
Maybe we will meet with him right before surgery to have all of these questions answered but I think that I will call his office tomorrow.
Any personal experiences here would be so welcome. Again thank all of you sharing you lives and stories here.
Jen (and Mark)

Comments

  • delnative
    delnative Member Posts: 450
    #2
    Hi Jen (and Mark)
    You didn't say if your husband is having a radical neck dissection or a modified radical neck dissection.
    I had the modified version. Others here had the full Monty and I'm sure can advise you. Me, I was out of work for about two weeks after my surgery.
    I was blessed in that I had one of the top surgeons in the country do my surgery, but I also was blessed/lucky/whatever in my lack of follow-up problems.
    For me, the dissection was the least of my whole battle with cancer. Chemo sucked, and radiation and the few weeks thereafter were very difficult.
    Some people have problems with their shoulder and/or neck after surgery. I had none. The only lasting after-effect, and I think it's probably permanent, is that my smile is crooked and I can't open my mouth in a perfect O. It makes it a little difficult to eat a sandwich, but hey, if that's the worst I take away from this whole experience, I made out OK.
    Best of luck to you and Mark.

    --Jim in Delaware
  • MarineE5
    MarineE5 Member Posts: 1,030 Member
    #3
    Neck Dissection
    Jen and Mark,

    As Jim mentioned, the neck dissection was surgery, but, most of the discomfort comes with the treatments that follow. Similar to Jim, I had a neck dissection, mine was a radical dissection. I was in the hopital for roughly 3 1/2 days. I had a tracheotomy as well because 1/3 of my tongue was removed and the remainder was reattached to my throat. I am able to eat food orally. Fantastic Surgeon. I was taking short walks daily around the neighborhood once I was home. Wear loose clothing.

    The healing process is different for each person. My Surgeon and Radiation Oncologist wanted me to heal for at least 6 weeks before starting my Radiation. It ended up to be 7 weeks before my first radiation treatment. It took a little longer for the radiation Physicist to work out the plan of attack on my radiation beams and amounts. They need to figure out the amounts to kill the cancer cells, but not damage any good tissue and mainly not hurt our spinal cord areas.

    Weakness in my right shoulder. With my neck dissection, I had a muscle known as the SCM muscle removed and caused me to have a weaker grip and shoulder strength. Yes, I did get physical therapy for my shoulder and arm. At the same time, I was given therapy for the lymphadema that came about due to the removal of over 30 lymphnodes on the side of my neck. The physical therapy has done me good.

    My Best to You Both and Everyone Here
  • MaryRC
    MaryRC Member Posts: 114
    #4
    neck Dissection
    Hi Jen,
    I had a modified neck dissection 4 weeks ago today. I still feel very tight, alot of numbness in my neck,jaw, ear and scalp above my ear. I have pain under my jaw. I am finally feeling a little less pain now. I was in the hospital for 2 nights. I was suppose to have a radical dissection but when the ENT got my neck open and was sending in biopsys of my neck mass, it turned out to not be cancer at all, but a cyst called Pilomatrixoma! It is benign and found usually in children. In a fine needle aspiration that I had, it can look like squamous cell carcinoma.
    People are telling me I am tilting my head to the left, I guess because it is so tight, I need to talk to my doctor about this.
    You will find alot of support on this site, everyone helped me get though the 2 months of waiting untill I had the surgery,
    Mary
  • dogsrule
    dogsrule Member Posts: 96
    #5
    MarineE5 said:

    Neck Dissection
    Jen and Mark,

    As Jim mentioned, the neck dissection was surgery, but, most of the discomfort comes with the treatments that follow. Similar to Jim, I had a neck dissection, mine was a radical dissection. I was in the hopital for roughly 3 1/2 days. I had a tracheotomy as well because 1/3 of my tongue was removed and the remainder was reattached to my throat. I am able to eat food orally. Fantastic Surgeon. I was taking short walks daily around the neighborhood once I was home. Wear loose clothing.

    The healing process is different for each person. My Surgeon and Radiation Oncologist wanted me to heal for at least 6 weeks before starting my Radiation. It ended up to be 7 weeks before my first radiation treatment. It took a little longer for the radiation Physicist to work out the plan of attack on my radiation beams and amounts. They need to figure out the amounts to kill the cancer cells, but not damage any good tissue and mainly not hurt our spinal cord areas.

    Weakness in my right shoulder. With my neck dissection, I had a muscle known as the SCM muscle removed and caused me to have a weaker grip and shoulder strength. Yes, I did get physical therapy for my shoulder and arm. At the same time, I was given therapy for the lymphadema that came about due to the removal of over 30 lymphnodes on the side of my neck. The physical therapy has done me good.

    My Best to You Both and Everyone Here

    neck dissection
    Hi Jen and Mark
    I had a modified neck dissection back in November. My doctor made an incision about an inch and a half right under my chin and then curves around left and up about half way under my ear, then in the middle of that incision down towards my collorbone about 4 inches. He removed around 13-16 lymphnodes and a portion of muscle. I was in the hospital 2 days. The pain was not to bad and I went back to work in about 10 days. Thank god it was turtle neck season. The scar doesn't look to bad now. Doctors goal was for it to be a fine thin white line, it's getting there and kind of blends in with the natural creases in my neck. I have an indentation that isnt that noticable, I have numbness in my shoulder, neck and about a little in my ear which seems to be better. Doc said I would probably not get most of the feeling back. They spared a major nerve that efects the fuctioning of the shoulder due to it being a modified and not a radical. Everything came back negative except for the 2 original inflamed lymph nodes with the cancer in them. They wanted me to heal for a month and then started the radiation, 5 weeks Mon-Fri. Onco told me that the surgery got rid of the cancer and that the radiation was a precaution to get anything microscopic. They gave me 2 rounds of erbutix which is a targeted therapy to boost the radiation success.
    I hope this is helpful and good luck with the surgery.
    Jo
  • j3rey
    j3rey Member Posts: 57
    #6
    dogsrule said:

    neck dissection
    Hi Jen and Mark
    I had a modified neck dissection back in November. My doctor made an incision about an inch and a half right under my chin and then curves around left and up about half way under my ear, then in the middle of that incision down towards my collorbone about 4 inches. He removed around 13-16 lymphnodes and a portion of muscle. I was in the hospital 2 days. The pain was not to bad and I went back to work in about 10 days. Thank god it was turtle neck season. The scar doesn't look to bad now. Doctors goal was for it to be a fine thin white line, it's getting there and kind of blends in with the natural creases in my neck. I have an indentation that isnt that noticable, I have numbness in my shoulder, neck and about a little in my ear which seems to be better. Doc said I would probably not get most of the feeling back. They spared a major nerve that efects the fuctioning of the shoulder due to it being a modified and not a radical. Everything came back negative except for the 2 original inflamed lymph nodes with the cancer in them. They wanted me to heal for a month and then started the radiation, 5 weeks Mon-Fri. Onco told me that the surgery got rid of the cancer and that the radiation was a precaution to get anything microscopic. They gave me 2 rounds of erbutix which is a targeted therapy to boost the radiation success.
    I hope this is helpful and good luck with the surgery.
    Jo

    HI Jo,
    This sounds a lot like what the plan is for my husband. We will know more tomorrow after surgery. Glad your cancer hadn't traveled. Hoping for the same news. Surgeon says only one night in the hospital. (Wow!) Hopefully because he will do such a fabulous job that he will be feeling like coming home. :)
    Thanks for posting, this is so helpful.
    Jen
  • ratface
    ratface Member Posts: 1,337 Member
    #7
    MaryRC said:

    neck Dissection
    Hi Jen,
    I had a modified neck dissection 4 weeks ago today. I still feel very tight, alot of numbness in my neck,jaw, ear and scalp above my ear. I have pain under my jaw. I am finally feeling a little less pain now. I was in the hospital for 2 nights. I was suppose to have a radical dissection but when the ENT got my neck open and was sending in biopsys of my neck mass, it turned out to not be cancer at all, but a cyst called Pilomatrixoma! It is benign and found usually in children. In a fine needle aspiration that I had, it can look like squamous cell carcinoma.
    People are telling me I am tilting my head to the left, I guess because it is so tight, I need to talk to my doctor about this.
    You will find alot of support on this site, everyone helped me get though the 2 months of waiting untill I had the surgery,
    Mary

    There are about a dozen variations
    I'm at work and don't have access to all my documentation but it's available and easily searched. Take the time to learn about them. If I recall there are three main nerves that pass through there as well as some major arteries. You want the cancer gone so if you need a radical get a radical. They can be done on both sides. That said it is major surgery and can have long lasting life changing implications although for most it's fairly routine with few complications.

    Find a surgeon who has done hundreds and get verbal agreement face to face that this person will do the actual cutting.
    It's possible that once in there they will discover more is required or even less than planned required.

    I had a right side modified with nine nodes removed in December of last year. My right arm is still a bit weak but has regained much lost strenght. Mobility is 100% with some pain. The operation was in at 6am out at 10pm same day. You go home with a drain tube that comes out 3 days later. they don't use stapes anymore but rather internal self dissolving stitches and glue on the outside.

    It will definatly increase swelling and issues for lymphedema for which I received about a dozen massage treatments. The lymphedema has gotten much better though not completely gone.

    The pain medicine is typically in liquid form to allow swallowing and some pharmiscist don't have enough on hand.

    It's painless and i agree with Jim the easier of the three treatment modalities. Find a good surgeion and move treatment facilities if necessary.
  • marymary2001
    marymary2001 Member Posts: 2
    #8
    ratface said:

    There are about a dozen variations
    I'm at work and don't have access to all my documentation but it's available and easily searched. Take the time to learn about them. If I recall there are three main nerves that pass through there as well as some major arteries. You want the cancer gone so if you need a radical get a radical. They can be done on both sides. That said it is major surgery and can have long lasting life changing implications although for most it's fairly routine with few complications.

    Find a surgeon who has done hundreds and get verbal agreement face to face that this person will do the actual cutting.
    It's possible that once in there they will discover more is required or even less than planned required.

    I had a right side modified with nine nodes removed in December of last year. My right arm is still a bit weak but has regained much lost strenght. Mobility is 100% with some pain. The operation was in at 6am out at 10pm same day. You go home with a drain tube that comes out 3 days later. they don't use stapes anymore but rather internal self dissolving stitches and glue on the outside.

    It will definatly increase swelling and issues for lymphedema for which I received about a dozen massage treatments. The lymphedema has gotten much better though not completely gone.

    The pain medicine is typically in liquid form to allow swallowing and some pharmiscist don't have enough on hand.

    It's painless and i agree with Jim the easier of the three treatment modalities. Find a good surgeion and move treatment facilities if necessary.

    document w details

    i agree ... know the science. here is my neck dissection bible. when we compare and share, valuable to keep in mind the huge variances and true medical terms bc it helps each of us better connect to out apples to apples comparisons/examples. 

    http://www2.utmb.edu/otoref/grnds/Neck-Dissection-020116/Neck-Dissection-020116-slides.pdf

    wikipedia also has a page. 

     

  • Skiffin16
    Skiffin16 Member Posts: 8,305 Member
    #9
    marymary2001 said:

    document w details

    i agree ... know the science. here is my neck dissection bible. when we compare and share, valuable to keep in mind the huge variances and true medical terms bc it helps each of us better connect to out apples to apples comparisons/examples. 

    http://www2.utmb.edu/otoref/grnds/Neck-Dissection-020116/Neck-Dissection-020116-slides.pdf

    wikipedia also has a page. 

     

    3 Years Old...

    This is an old thread...

    My good South Florida pals...., Mark and Jen owner and originator of DOA Fishing Lures...

    JG

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