Gah, this makes me realize how many MORE questions we should have asked before my recent oral surgery. (The dental extractions.) On the plus side, I know they did the tube down my throat (because it hurt like the dickens afterwards) and as far as I can tell, there were no complications from it that were any worse than my continuing reflux problems post-radiation. Will that help reassure you? I'm in the headed-for-dentures process right now, healing and waiting to be ready for molds, so probably not as far along as your husband is, but the tube wasn't as bad as it could have been. Though it did hurt more than I recall it hurting after surgeries pre-radiation.

Kristen