This type of surgery may take on many forms. It may be removal of a single lump or may involve removal of all of the lymph nodes from one side of the neck (called a neck dissection). It may be done for cancers in the region or it may be done for benign lumps.
Neck surgery is done under general anaesthesia. Depending on the aims of the operation and extent of surgery required it might take from 30 minutes up to 3 hours. These operations do require an incision on the neck and hence there will be a scar on the neck (see here for advice about scar management). It is important to be aware that there are a number of important nerves in the neck that may be at risk during this type of surgery. Hence these are best performed by an experienced head and neck surgeon. The nerves that go to the shoulder, the tongue and the corner of the mouth are all close by where these operations occur. In addition the main blood vessels to and from the brain pass through the neck and may be close to the site of your surgery.
Neck surgery usually requires anywhere up to 4-5 nights in hospital. You will have a drain in the neck that collects any excess fluid. Once this drains dries up it is removed and then you are safe for discharge from hospital.
Like any surgery you need to avoid overly strenuous exercise. Normal daily activities are fine but anything above this should be avoided.
Read further detailed post-operative instructions.
I usually see you 1 week after surgery. At this time the results of the pathology from the operation will be available and we can discuss those. Also any stitches can be removed and I can review the appearance of the surgical site at that time.
We are currently in unchartered waters with the COVID-19 pandemic. At ENTSA we are, as always, committed to the health and wellbeing of our staff and our patients. Ear, nose and throat examinations and surgery however are considered extremely high risk for virus transmission and so we are making changes in our practice.
The current recommendations from the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (ASOHNS) are:
As a result of this, our practice is changing. We are still here to care for new and existing patients. We have established a Telehealth system to enable continuity of care for existing patients and a ‘non-contact’ option for new patients to access an initial assessment and commencement of treatment.
Please call us to discuss Telehealth options on: (08) 7200 2539
We will still see some patients in the office however this will be limited to protect the health of you and our staff.
If you attend, we ask you to comply with the following: