I have had 2 bilateral neck dissections. The first was in April 07 to remove several nodes - 1 being positive. The second was 12 months later in April this year when they cut my neck open again to replace and reconstruct my lower jaw bone with new bone.

Following the first dissection my neck healed up really well, but then the radiotherapy certainly tightened up my neck alot, especially seeing there had been alot of muscle removed.

Now 8 months on after the second dissection it is still really tight and stiff but some physiotherapy/massage seems to be helping a little.

In my situation having to have another neck dissection following radiotherapy obviously has made the healing process take twice as long as what the first one did. The radiotherapy just shrivelled everything up.

Karen