Surgery
People who have
surgery may have any of these side effects:
Pain. You may be uncomfortable for the first few
days after surgery. However, medicine
can usually control the pain. You
should feel free to discuss pain relief with the doctor or nurse.
Low energy. It is common to feel tired or weak after
surgery. The length of time it takes to
recover from an operation is different for each patient.
Swelling in the throat. For a few days after surgery, you won’t be
able to eat, drink, or swallow. At first, you will receive fluid through an
intravenous (IV) tube placed into
your arm. Within a day or two, you will get fluids and nutrition through a
feeding tube (put in place during surgery) that goes through your nose and
throat into your stomach. When the swelling goes away and the area begins to
heal, the feeding tube will be removed. Swallowing may be difficult at first,
and you may need the help of a nurse or speech pathologist. Soon you will
be eating your regular diet.
If you need a feeding tube for longer than one week, you may get a tube that
goes directly into the abdomen. Most
patients slowly return to eating solid foods by mouth, but for a very few
patients, the feeding tube may be permanent.
Increased mucus production. After the operation, the lungs and windpipe
produce a lot of mucus, also called
sputum. To remove it, the nurse
applies gentle suction by placing a small plastic tube in the stoma. You will
learn to cough and suction mucus through the stoma without the nurse's
help.
Numbness, stiffness, or weakness. After a laryngectomy, parts of the
neck and throat may be numb because nerves have been cut. Also, the shoulder,
neck, and arm may be weak and stiff. You may need
physical therapy to improve
your strength and flexibility after surgery.
Changes in physical appearance. Your neck will be somewhat smaller,
and it will have scars. Some patients find it
helpful to wear clothing that covers the neck area.
Tracheostomy. Patients who have surgery will have a
stoma. With most supraglottic and
partial laryngectomies, the stoma is temporary. After a short recovery period,
the tube can be removed, and the stoma closes up. You should then be
able to breathe and talk in the usual way.
In some people, however, the voice may be hoarse or weak.
After a total laryngectomy, the stoma is permanent. If you have a total
laryngectomy, you will need to learn to speak in a new way. The section called
“Learning to Speak Again” has
more information.
More information about stomas may be found in the
“Living with a Stoma” section.
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