Hi there,
This is my first post. My mother has been diagnosed with mouth cancer but thankfully surgery is an option. She will need one third of her lower jaw removed and reconstruction using a fibula free flap. It was an awful shock for her and us all but we got our heads around this new situation and while it is huge surgery we have great confidence in her ENT and plastics team.
However one thing came up in a recent meeting. The plastic surgeon told my mother that immediately after surgery she will have to spend 5 days in a well heated room. He described this as being the most challenging and tough part of the whole procedure. He explained that this will keep the newly connected blood vessels in the flap open and aid healing. He said the room will feel like a dry sauna, possibly over 30 degrees C.
This might sound crazy, but more than the description of the surgery, this frightened my mother and us the most. She cannot tolerate hot temperatures. Her whole life she could not stand hot environments or weather. It completely exhausts her and makes her physically ill. It may sound minor but I can't overstate this enough. Having been stoic about what is to come she is now going to pieces. This is a very strong woman, but this terrifies her.
I've done some reading about post-op recovery and I can't find anything anywhere about heated rooms. Is this a common method? The surgeon is absolutely insistent that this is a vital part of the success of the flap.
We do realise how tough and long the road ahead is and that this seems minor but her confidence is very shaken now and I thought I'd ask about it. Thanks in advance for any advice or insights folks.

***ADMIN NOTE ---- 30C is 86F ***