Why is this procedure done?
Radical neck dissection is a surgery to remove lymph nodes and cancer tissue in the head and neck area. There are a number of different ways the surgery can be done. Treatment may include chemo and radiation therapy. Chemo may be done before the surgery to shrink the tumor. ‚
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What happens before the procedure?
- Your doctor will take your history. Talk to your doctor about:
- All the drugs you are taking. Be sure to include all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, and herbal supplements. Tell the doctor about any drug allergy. Bring a list of drugs you take with you.
- Any bleeding problems. Be sure to tell your doctor if you are taking any drugs that may cause bleeding. Some of these are Coumadin ‚ ®, ibuprofen, Aleve ‚ ® (naproxen), or aspirin. Certain vitamins and herbs, such as garlic and fish oil, may also add to the risk for bleeding. You may need to stop these drugs as well. Talk to your doctor about them.
- When you need to stop eating or drinking before your procedure.
- Your doctor may ask you to stop smoking before surgery.
- Your doctor will do an exam and may order:
- Lab tests
- X-rays
- CT or MRI scans
- An exam of your vocal cords
- Barium swallow
- Pulmonary function tests
- You will not be allowed to drive right away after the procedure. Ask a family member or a friend to drive you home.
What happens during the procedure?
- Once you are in the operating room, you will be given a drug to make you sleepy. It will also help you stay pain free during the surgery. The staff will put an I.V. in your arm to give you fluids and drugs.
- When you are asleep, the doctors put a tube in your mouth to help you breathe. They also put another small tube in your nose. This one goes down to your stomach to drain out any food or fluid that might come out during surgery. You will have a tube in your bladder to drain urine.
- The doctors will make a cut in the skin that runs along the crease in the neck. Two more cuts are made to look like the letter H. This lets the surgeon pull back the skin to get a better look. Then, your doctor removes the lymph nodes and tissue.
- Your doctor will close your cuts with stitches or staples and cover it with clean bandages.
- The doctor will put drains into the cut site. These help to remove fluid which may gather after lymph nodes or blood vessels are taken out. The drains may stay in for up to a week.
- The procedure takes 2 to 4 hours.
What happens after the procedure?
- You will go to the Recovery Room and the staff will watch you closely. Your doctor may give you drugs for pain.
- Once you are stable, you will be moved to a normal hospital room.
- When you are able to drink liquids and take care of the drains, you will be able to leave the hospital.
- You may have to stay in the hospital for 2 to 4 days.
- You may need training in speech therapy after the surgery.
What lifestyle changes are needed?
- Stop smoking. It may worsen how you feel after surgery. It also can worsen the success of the surgery and other treatment. Talk with your doctor if you need help to stop.
- Once recovering, go back to good oral care.
- Avoid spicy, or acidic foods, caffeine, and foods that are highly seasoned even with salt.
- Avoid drinking beer, wine, and mixed drinks (alcohol) and using alcohol-containing mouthwashes.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent infection
- Prevent or treat upset stomach and throwing up after surgery
- Supplement vitamin and mineral needs
- Increase spit
- Prevent and treat mouth pain and irritation
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Dry mouth
- Not able to speak and need a device to help
- Need to breath through a hole in your throat
- Numbness in neck, throat, or shoulder. It may take up to 1 year after surgery for the numbness to go away.
Where can I learn more?
American Cancer Society ‚
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/oralcavityandoropharyngealcancer/index ‚
http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/TreatmentTypes/Radiation/UnderstandingRadiationTherapyAGuideforPatientsandFamilies/understanding-radiation-therapy-radiation-to-head-and-neck ‚
http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/UnderstandingYourDiagnosis/AfterDiagnosis/after-diagnosis-guide-toc ‚
http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco/GuidetoQuittingSmoking/guide-to-quitting-smoking-toc ‚
Cancer Information Service ‚
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/laryngeal/Patient ‚
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/metastatic-squamous-neck/Patient ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚