Stacy,
Do a general search on the web for neck dissection. There are some really infomative sites. You have to remember that there are several types, radical and modified. I had one in conjunction with the removal of a maligant tumor on the base of my mouth. The skin removed from my neck was used to help rebuild the bottom of my mouth. They also removed all of the lymph nodes from both sides of my neck during the procedure.
Please ask the doctor a lot of questions, so you have no surprises in the end.
Anne.