Neck, front

Postoperative problems affecting the front of the neck include

Scars. Unlike in the back of the neck these are easy to see and manage. Equally they are more obvious as the front of the neck is a continuation of the face in social interactions.
Limitation of movement. This may be compounded by a flap replacing an area of missing neck skin. This is designed to minimise any limitation of movement but this can take many weeks or months to be fully effective.
Stoma. A laryngectomy (removal of the voice box) requires a permanent tracheostomy – a breathing hole where the end of the windpipe is connected to the skin. Most maxillofacial patients have a temporary tracheostomy when undergone major resective surgery for cancer or after significant facial trauma. This is kept open by a tube which is removed after 4 or 5 days. The hole seals under a dressing and voice is retained.
Missing salivary glands. Surprisingly having one or more major salivary gland removed does not noticeably reduce the amount of available saliva.
Limitation of movement of the hyoid bone (at the root of the tongue, in the front of the neck). This can interfere with swallowing as this bone has to lift up as part of the swallowing process.
Missing lymph glands. These are removed as part of cancer treatment. Although this disrupts the flow of lymph and can cause tissue swelling (lymphoedema) and the lymph nodes are part of the immune system, their removal does not seem to have an obvious damaging effect on the body’s response to infection.