Hello everyone,

I had my neck dissection surgery one week ago. They have removed the clips today.

Unfortunately, all my left side around the neck is numb. They say it can take even 6 months for the numbness to go away.

I would be keen to hear other people's experiences. How long did it take to recover?

Hi Max,

Unfortunately, I have no answer for your question. How are you doing otherwise? Six months sounds like a long time but believe me, the time does fly past quickly. My neck dissection is coming up on Wednesday. They're doing it separate from my partial glossectomy. I hope you're recovering nicely aside from the numbness!

Karen

Hi Mausmish, I had my selective neck dissection separated too.

Max, well, I had this surgery too and my smile were pretty strange for about 40 days after the surgery. Then It came completely back to normal.

I must confessed that I almost freak out when I looked in the mirror and saw my mouth dumb, I was MAD because the doctor didn�t told me it was going to happen. And when I asked he told me there�s a little risk to not recoved. However, It was 100% recovered.
Then I bet you�ll feel the same.

I lost the "sensitivity" in a small part under my mandible. But it does not bothers me at all. And the doc saids it keep improving until ONE YEAR after the surgery.

Yesterday I complete 10 months post surgery and everything is fine.

Keep us posted!
love

Karen, thanks I'm recovering nicely.. the hardest times are behind.. i hope your neck dissection will go well on wednesday!

Brazilian girl, I see.. this is what they told me.. it's a long process to recover but eventually it will come back.. they told me there were two (or maybe a few) nerves that could be affected after this operation. One is that goes towards the lips and is responsible for the smile - it sounds like you had a problem with this nerve. And another one is neck + cheek... it's not visible for other people that's it's numb but feels very ackward!

Hey max,

Currently both my ears, much of the back of my head, a my jaw down to mid chest are numb. My doc says likely the lobes of my ears won't regain feeling and there will be the strip across my throat that will also remain numb.

My left thumb is also numb from where they took the flap to reconstruct the tongue, and that one is unknown for the moment. The surgeon has said we will know more when I meet with him in a couple of weeks.

Hi Max, am just 10 months out from the neck dissection, and about 95% back to normal. Took a couple months before I could shave without a mirror, then gradual steady healing of the skin nerves. Maybe 4 months before the scar line was mostly smooth. Now it looks like an aging line. Time went fast... Fitness seems to really help.

Max,
My first surgeon explained to me there is a small facial nerve that could be caught and would cause the right side of my mouth to drop. He wanted to warn me because he was pretty certain it would get cut or nicked during surgery. He summed it up by telling me to take a look at Sylvester Stallone as he had it severed with forceps at birth. Well it got caught but I don't believe it causes the numbness I get.
I am almost six years out from treatment and I seem to get real numb in my face and neck when I don't stay hydrated. I wasn't told of a nerve in the neck that you mention but wouldn't discount that. I have a spot under my right cheek bone that stays numb but it's just above the scar line so I figure it's from the scar tissue inside my mouth.
I have neuropathy due to chemo but doesn't seem to be in the face/neck area, it's more in feet, arms and hands. Do your best to stay hydrated and possibly this will help. Best wishes to you.

Steve