Thanks for the posts, and links on this subject. With my three neck dissections, plus intraoperative radiation, pec flap, and CRT, there is risk of carotid leak or blow out, some occurring 7 months post treatment, for my type surgery. My carotid was already compromised from my first neck dissection when the tumor needed to be scraped off the carotid artery, and then aloderm placed on it to protect it since my neck muscle was removed. My 2nd neck dissection, another tumor had to be scraped off the carotid, as much as possible, and ENT said he couldn't go any further. For my last surgery, the aloderm had to be peeled off, which my ENT said was the most difficult part of the operation, and pec placed instead to protect the carotid, and to do further CRT.