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Surgery needed after throat cancer

Peakay
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Hello, I’ve had so much useful help and advice over the past two years. I’m back with another question, if that’s ok. My son has been left with a web in his throat, which has been causing him great difficulty in his eating. Today he had a check up, and got another all clear regarding the cancer, thank God, but the web has grown, and his airway is being affected. He needs a procedure, which he can’t remember the name of, apart from it begins with “O”.

Can you tell me any more about the procedure, I’d be very grateful.

Many thanks

  • Hello there and thanks for getting back in touch with us

    I am sorry to hear about the problems your son is having eating following treatments.

    It sounds like he is going to have oesophageal dilation that you can read more about here. Sometimes the cancer treatments given for head and neck type cancers can narrow or cause a blockage near the oesophagus (food pipe) affecting the swallow and eating and drinking. The oesophageal dilation aims to stretch the food pipe to help resolve these issues.

    Do talk to your son's team for more information and to double check this is what they are planning for him.

    Get back in touch if you need to.

    Best wishes

    Naomi

  • Offline in reply to CRUK Nurse Naomi

    Hi Naomi, thanks for your response. When the web was just causing him problems eating, the team said they will leave it alone, as he was getting by just eating porridge and drinking. Now they have said said it’s affecting his airway and breathing, and they need to do this procedure to remove the web. Like most men, he doesn’t note the finer details, but said the word they used started with “O”, then possibly oscu….

    I’ve googled it, but nothing comes up, and it’s mostly for my benefit, he will just go with it (like most men again), but I like to know exactly what the procedure is, if you can understand what I mean?

    Thanks again

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