Tee Tee Emm,

I had a mandiblectpmu with a fibula free flap reconstruction about three years ago during one surgery, which took about 8 hours.

I was in the “step down” unit for 6 days before I transferred to a long term nursing care facility. Most patients are up and walking by then, and go home, but with my back ground I needed extra care for several months. One was that my carotid artery and vein from my chest were used to supply my jaw as prior surgeries had me vein depleted including the carotid artery. I had a trache stoma longer, about a month, due to delayed healing from radiation 5 different times equalling more than 200gy! The trache was replaced with one I could speak with about 3 days after my surgery. I did not get out of bed to walk as most did with this surgery. I went to rehab after 6 days. The stoma from the trache removal took about a month to fully close, which I otherwise had to close the stoma with gauze to speak. My fibula did not fully heal even upon my discharge and walking even after 6 months, so I had another surgery to close the fibula with a graft from the groin, and that finally worked.

I go to a ccc in Manhattan, and my surgeons (ENT & Plastic Surgeon) did my surgeries, and both have extensive experience in this surgery and the reconstruction from the chest and other areas.

I hope this helps