Head & Neck Surgery

Explained in simple words

1Head and neck surgery deals with diseases of the throat, voice box, food pipe opening, thyroid gland, salivary glands and the glands of the neck.

2Many different problems appear in this area, from simple swellings to serious growths.

3The most important thing is to catch dangerous disease early, because early disease is far easier to cure.

4Please take these warning signs seriously if they last for more than three weeks.

5A change in the voice, or hoarseness that does not get better, needs the voice box to be examined.

6A lump or swelling in the neck that does not go away should always be checked, even if it is painless.

7Difficulty or pain in swallowing, or a feeling of something stuck in the throat, must be examined.

8An ulcer or a white or red patch in the mouth that is not healing should be shown to a doctor without delay.

9Blood in the spit, unexplained weight loss, or a persistent one-sided ear pain with a normal-looking ear are also warning signs.

10In our region, tobacco chewing, gutkha, smoking and alcohol are the main causes of mouth and throat cancer.

11The single best thing anyone can do for their health is to stop tobacco in every form, in whatever quantity.

12Examination is done using a thin flexible telescope passed through the nose or mouth, which shows the throat and voice box clearly on a screen.

13This is done with local anaesthetic spray, takes a few minutes, and is not painful.

14If a swelling is found, a needle test called FNAC may be done, where a fine needle takes a few cells for examination. It feels like a blood test.

15Sometimes a small piece of tissue, called a biopsy, is taken for a definite diagnosis. Scans may also be advised to know the extent.

16Many swellings turn out to be completely harmless — such as thyroid nodules, salivary gland stones, or infected lymph nodes — and these are treated simply.

17Thyroid surgery is done for large goitres that press on the windpipe, for overactive glands, and for suspicious nodules.

18Salivary gland surgery is done for stones and tumours, with great care taken to protect the facial nerve that runs through the gland.

19Voice box problems such as nodules, polyps and cysts are treated with micro-surgery, often with the help of a laser, along with voice rest and speech therapy.

20For cancer, treatment is planned by a team and may include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy or a combination, depending on the stage.

21Modern surgery pays great attention to preserving function — the ability to speak, to swallow and to look normal after treatment.

22Reconstruction techniques are used so that patients can return to eating and speaking as normally as possible.

23Recovery involves regular follow-up, since early detection of any recurrence gives the best chance of cure.

24If you have any of the warning signs listed above, please come and get examined. A five-minute check-up can save a life.