There are a variety of types of neck dissections, with a variety of names such as radical neck dissection, modified radical neck, etc. Each type involves different amounts of tissue removal and different types of incisions. For the most part, unless there is a tumor in the neck which has invaded the muscular structures there, neck dissections are done just to remove lymph nodes and associated tissues. These types are often referred to as modified radical neck dissections and leave only a few problems afterwards. But these residual issues do not involve appetite, voice, swallowing, and the things that you have mentioned. Pretty much everyone ends up with some numbness as a final result, as major nerve which transverses the area has to be cut in most cases. While this feels a little funny at first, you get used to the fact that one side of your neck has no feeling, and personally I do not even notice this anymore. If muscle tissue is removed there can be range of motion limitations post surgery. Since my surgery was done post radiation, it was more difficult for the doctor, and therefore took longer to perform, about 4 hours. Compared to radiation the surgery was a walk in the park. I had lymphedema for about 6 months afterwards, but that finally resolved with constant massage, and even while you have it, it is primarily an esthetic issue, (unless it refuses to go down, and then there is a danger of sepsis in the surrounding tissues). Your husband has done the worst already