There are a number of type of neck dissections, which remove the Lymph nodes or a select chain of lymphs in levels l-VI, preserving all or one or more structures. Depending on the type of dissection, can have an effect on movement, and even touching neves can also impair them. These days most are modified radical neck dissections, MRND, instead of a radical neck dissection, RND, for the oropharynx, in levels ll-IV or ll-V, preserving one or more structures like the nerve, vein, neck muscle. You are usually there overnight or several days with a draining tube, and once that minimizes in accumulating fluids in the draining bulb, 1/3 way, they remove it or discharge you for later removal. My two hospitals put me in the head and neck "Step Down", like ICU for monitoring. The stitches are usually removed a week or two later. Previous radiated areas take longer to heal, and would have them removed in two weeks or later depending on healing.
I had 5 neck dissections. One was selected or limited whereby 2 cancerous Lymph nodes in two levels, II, III, were removed as ambulatory surgery, and required no draining tube, and it was under general anesthea, and a Pandendoscopy, with biopsies, was also undertaken. I ate a Big Mac on the way home.
I also had 3 radical neck dissections, RND, one which I was hospitalized overnight with a draining tube. Again, I ate a Big Mac, French fries, shake on the way home after discage, even a pastrami sandwich on rye another time. Two of the other dissections were more extensive, includung with IORT during surgery, more structures removed, required 4 days hospitization, but my range of moton, pain levels were good, and had the morphine in recovery, Percocet thereafter for a while. I eventually required PT sometime after, have newer issues, paralysis, but I'm talking about 5 years of consecutive treatments, and surgeries, so I can't really complain. Immediately after was not that difficult.
For me, surgery was the easiest, followed by radiation, and chemo was more difficult.
Here is an an OCF link describing the neck dissections:
http://oralcancerfoundation.org/facts/neck-dissections.phpGood luck!
