para>This is a series of images showing how to care for your wound. They include washing your hands, having the doctor take out your stitches or staples, not removing the small pieces of tape over the wound, taking care of your dressing, and watching for signs of infection like pus or redness around the wound.View Original
This is a series of images showing how to care for your wound. They include washing your hands, having the doctor take out your stitches or staples, not removing the small pieces of tape over the wound, taking care of your dressing, and watching for signs of infection like pus or redness around the wound.
View Original
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Talk to your doctor about how to care for your cut site. Ask your doctor about:
- When you should change your bandages
- When you may take a bath or shower
- If you need to be careful with lifting things over 10 pounds
- When you may go back to your normal activities like work or driving
- Be sure to wash your hands before and after touching your wound or dressing.
- If you have a drain tube, you will need to change the bandage and keep the area around the drain clean and dry. If you have drainage tubes, empty the cup or bulb when it gets full. You may have to measure the amount of fluid and write the amount on a paper or diary. The amount of drainage should go down or become a little less each day.
- Sleep with your head up on pillows. This will help to lessen neck swelling after surgery.
- Take your drug for pain 30 minutes before meals to help make swallowing easier. Try eating only soft foods for a few days, such as jello, pudding, baby food, and applesauce. Stay away from foods that scratch the throat.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time. This will help the pain.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Your doctor will talk with you about the test results. Together you can make a plan if more treatment is needed.
- If you have stitches or staples, you will need to have them taken out. Your doctor will often want to do this in 7 to 10 days.
- You may need to see a physical therapist to help you with your range of motion in your neck, shoulder, and arm.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain
- Prevent infection
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Bleeding or blood clots
- Nerve injury
- Chyle leak ¢ ˆ ’ fluid buildup around the lung
- Seroma ¢ ˆ ’ a collection of fluid under the skin
- Swelling of the face or neck
- Problems moving the arm or shoulder on the side where you had surgery
- Neck numbness or stiffness
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, cough, more sputum or change in color of sputum, wound that will not heal.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Numbness in the neck or face
- Problems moving your neck, head, or arm
- Trouble breathing, talking, or swallowing
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my procedure.
- I can tell you how to care for my cut site.
- I can tell you what changes I need to make with my diet or activities.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have trouble breathing, talking, or swallowing.
Where can I learn more?
American College of Radiology ‚
http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=hdneck ‚
British Association of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery ‚
https://entuk.org/ent_patients/head_neck_conditions/neck_dissection ‚
National Cancer Institute ‚
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/metastatic-squamous-neck/Patient/page4#_29 ‚
Last Reviewed Date
2015-04-30 ‚
List_set bdysylist
- Adult
- Neuromuscular and Skeletal
- Therapy (Occupational, Physical, Speech, etc)
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 provider 's advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2016 Wolters Kluwer Clinical Drug Information, Inc. and its affiliates and/or licensors. All rights reserved. ‚