Medical Questions » Neck Questions » Question No. 715
Question:I have a lump on the side of my neck that seems to go up and down, and every time it goes up it causes headaches and a general feeling of being unwell. My specialist wants to remove it, but says I will be left with a sizeable scar that cannot be avoided. Aren' t there more advanced technigues such as plastic surgery that can minimise the scarring?
Answer:A neck lump that increases in size when you are unwell and decreases when you feel better is almost certainly a lymph node. Removing it may well remove a source of chronic infection, and therefore cure the problem. Whenever any operation is performed, a scar must remain behind. Some areas of the body heal poorly (eg. the back) and a bad scar is inevitable. Other areas heal very well (eg. the face), and scarring is usually minimal. The part of your body being cut is far more important than the surgeon in determining the type of scar you will develop. Plastic surgeons are not able to perform miracles. They have techniques that will minimise scarring, but most general surgeons are aware of these techniques also. Making the initial cut along the natural skin folds of the body, using fine stitches, using stitches under the skin rather than through the skin, and removing the stitches at just the right time are some of the tricks of the trade. There would be no benefit from having a plastic surgeon perform your operation, as I suspect your scar will be far less noticeable than you expect. The neck is an area of the body that heals quite well, but if the scar does worry you six months or more after the operation, a plastic surgeon can be consulted about having a scar revision operation.
       
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