I had surgery May 13th for jaw reconstruction and flap. Not a complete failure but will need 2nd surgery to close fistula. The incision on my neck did not heal. It looks like a thick piece of leather that has been split down the center and is now folding outward like the petals on a flower. I have asked both the ENT and the PS about HBOT and they say I am not a candidate because of the risk of recurrence associated with HBOT. From all the literature I have been able to find it appears the risk is low for a recurrence resulting from HBOT. I'd appreciate some feedback on this as I really think I want to press for treatment before any more surgery. The PS wants to see me next week and tentatively scheduling surgery for the 13th.
Thanks,
Pat

While I am normally a proponent of 02 treatments for those getting ready to undergo an extraction or who have a small non healing would in their mouths, even though there are pros and cons to 02 treatments in the literature.

You are at one of the best institutions and are likely getting the best advice possible. If you were being seen in some off the map place, I might feel differently. But I think you should follow the recommendations of your doctors this time around. They know your case well, they know the issues, and it sounds like they have an informed plan to fix what is not working out well.

Brian, I would like to think so but I was disappointed in my last visit to learn that if the flap heals as the PS hopes, there will be no more surgery for me. I can't imagine that my neck could stay this way. The separation of skin is very wide and appears to be getting wider as the skin folds outward. If it were to catch on anything it would surely rip. Not pretty! If they have an informed plan, they have yet to share it with me.

I was told the same about HBO.
As I recall the expression used was "Like throwing gasoline on a fire".

I believe this opinion came from Stephen, a research PHd who was affiliated with my treatment CCC but from Sanford-Burnham, an associated NIH Basic CC Research Institute.

Apparently there is an opinion that HBO might be risky if there is evidence of some OC (or other cancer) still lurking around.

I don't know if this is mainstream thinking or not.

I would ask that surgeon what his optimum outcome looks like, and if that does not meet with your expectations, I would directly ask him what could be changed to obtain the look/cosmetic result you are looking for. Direct questions are not inappropriate. You deserve to know where things are going, and what outcomes are being looked for. They may or may not meet your expectations. I do not know if your expectations are realistic or not. But when it comes to post treatment surgeries, there are usually many options, and we have had people have other reconstructive/plastic procedures done that corrected defects that were not willing to live with. LIp re-alignment, the dreaded turkey neck, and more have all been done by people that visited these boards. Obviously people who have had particle mandiblectomy's have many surgeries to get things back to normal. Usually most PS stay away from radiated patients unless they also have oncology experience. There is a higher failure rate in irradiated patients for procedures.

My mom was going to do HBO for a non healing wound treatment. They did a ct scan prior to starting HBO dives because if there is the slightest bit of cancer, it can push the cells and make the cancer spread. At least that is my understanding of it. It was a good thing we did the ct scan b/c it actually came back positive for SCC again

The impact on spread is debated by the best an brightest. Bottom line is that without concrete answers we do what is the most conservative.

Depending on how big your surgery was, its very possible that you still have alot of swelling. Its only been about 6 weeks since you had your operation. My doc told me a big operation like a mandibulectomy takes months for the swelling to subside. That at the 6 month post its pretty much what you will look like and by the time its a year after surgery then they consider the swelling to be finally finished.

Ive done lots and lots of HBOs. I did 55 after my second round of OC since I did not heal after surgery to remove the tumor from my cheek. Also having dental work made me go the more HBO for the Marks Protocal of 20 before and 10 after dental extractions. I was diagnosed with my third round of OC 4 months after I finished my HBO. So who knows if it was there all along.

Every time I was diagnosed it was in a different spot. My first cancer was in 2 seperate places with one well differentiated and the other spot moderately differentiated. One was on the inside of my cheek like a canker sore and the second place was behind my top L molar. Second time I had cancer was a spot on the inside of my cheek about an inch from where the first tumor was. The third time's cancer was in my lower L jaw bone.

Im sure your doctors know what they are doing. A second opinion never hurts. Operating on radiated areas is difficult cuz things dont heal. I went 4 months on a wound vac. Ask your docs about that. It did help me. Due to an infection in my wound, it couldnt heal. It took 10 months for my wound to finally heal. Be patient, healing takes alot of time and energy. Try to get lots of extra protein, it helps with healing. Hope you find the answers you are looking for.