I had five neck dissections, three that were radical, on the same left cervical neck within 3 years, and can pretty much back what everyone else has said. The surgery can be somewhat an easy, easier than chemo, radiation for me, in the hands of an experienced ENT surgeon, hospital, who do these surgeries frequently, but as with any surgery, there are risks, especially with all the vital structures in that area.
Not sure of the type of neck dissection you're having, there are several types, but in my case, I was scheduled for a Modified Radical Neck Dissection, MRND, which is more popular these days over a Radical Neck Dissection, RND, but during surgery all the nerves, veins, and tumor were all were all twisted together from prior radiation that it necessitated having a radical neck dissection, removing not only the nodes in level ll-V, but also the vein, nerve, and muscle instead of preserving them as with a MRND. The tumor was also found to be on the carotid artery, so it had to be scraped off, and Alloderm placed on the carotid to protect it since a Pec-flap wasn't planned, which otherwise would have been done, but later on was in another surgery.
Even so, recovery was fairly easy, I was in the hospital overnight in what is called a "step down unit," similar to ICU, where your are monitored closely. I had a tube in the neck to drain the fluids into a drainage bulb, which is supposed to be left in until it only fills up 1/3, and is usually left in until discharge or later, otherwise lymph fluid, blood, can build up in the neck and need to be drained by needle if excess swelling occurs. My tube was taken out prior to discharge, in addition too, the Foley catheter, I didn't know they were putting in. On the way home I stopped at McDonald's to pick up a BigMac, fries and a coke, so swallowing wasn't that bad.
Healing may take longer with prior radiation, and mine did, so instead of having the stitches removed around 7 days, mine were in there for about 21 days, in the "T Cut" incision. Btw, there are several type of incisions, depending on surgery, surgeon, but most try to have it along the creases in the neck to be more aesthetic since it can go from ear to mid neck.
As far as surgery side effects, mine were minimal at first, but having had 5 extensive neck surgeries, and 5 radiation treatments, it's difficult to differentiate what is from which, but I do have neck lymphdemia, fibrosis (turkey neck & leather neck), limited range neck motion, arm paralysis from brachial plexopathy, muscle atrophy in trapezoid, delts, bicep and Triceps, neuropathy in arm, hands, Horner's syndrome, head drop, as some.
As recommended, physical therapy may help, and may be life long, as well as having lymphatic drainage massage by a licensed therapist, to help prevent fibrosis from set in from lymph accumulation, which then may be permanent, and very little that can be done after that.
Pain was minimized by oxycodone, and may have been given morphine injection in the recovery room, usualyl do, which I never turn down, as pain can interfere with the healing process, as I later learned, and I wasn't trying to tuff anything out for no reason.
Good luck, and I hope this helps.
