How long will it take for the swelling to go down after flap surgery for oral cancer?

Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
Updated on May 24, 2025
00:00
00:00

After undergoing flap surgery for oral cancer, the surgical incision will generally need one to two months to reduce swelling. After the swelling has subsided, some sensation in the affected area will start to return. For patients with oral cancer, flap surgery is primarily conducted due to the extensive skin damage caused by radical excision of the cancer. Therefore, substitute surgery using a flap is necessary to ensure the postoperative appearance. However, after flap surgery, patients may experience some rejection reactions to the new flap, leading to swelling and redness at the site of the surgical incision. This condition generally subsides after anti-inflammatory treatment and natural absorption, typically within one to two months post-surgery.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yan Chun
Oncology
53sec home-news-image

How long will it take for the swelling to go down after flap surgery for oral cancer?

After undergoing flap surgery for oral cancer, the surgical incision will generally need one to two months to reduce swelling. After the swelling has subsided, some sensation in the affected area will start to return. For patients with oral cancer, flap surgery is primarily conducted due to the extensive skin damage caused by radical excision of the cancer. Therefore, substitute surgery using a flap is necessary to ensure the postoperative appearance. However, after flap surgery, patients may experience some rejection reactions to the new flap, leading to swelling and redness at the site of the surgical incision. This condition generally subsides after anti-inflammatory treatment and natural absorption, typically within one to two months post-surgery.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Sun Ming Yue
Medical Oncology
1min 6sec home-news-image

Will oral cancer cause facial swelling?

If one develops oral cancer, various swelling phenomena can occur in the tissues inside the mouth. Due to the swelling, it naturally causes the face to become swollen as well, directly affecting the condition of facial swelling during this process. As the degree of oral cancer varies from patient to patient, the severity of various swelling and pain phenomena in the oral tissues also differs, resulting in different facial conditions for each patient. If oral cancer is contracted and not treated and controlled in a timely manner, it can easily lead to swelling and pain in the oral tissues, ultimately causing facial deformity. From the above, it is evident that oral cancer can cause various swelling phenomena in the oral tissues, and due to the swelling and pain, it eventually leads to facial swelling, having a significant impact on the patient's appearance.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Ji Zhong
Internal Medicine
49sec home-news-image

Early symptoms of oral cancer

Oral cancer poses a significant threat to human health, and its early symptoms are not obvious. Many cases are mistakenly thought to be chronic non-healing oral ulcers, and in fact, the best treatment opportunity has already been missed once it is discovered. Early manifestations include the appearance of lumps and nodules in the mouth. The lumps appear as white, smooth patches, and red patches can emerge in the mouth, along with ulcers. The mouth may also repeatedly bleed. If there are unexplained, long-lasting ulcers that do not heal, and the individual is over 40 years old with the presence of cauliflower-like growths, then it is crucial to immediately seek hospital treatment. Early smear tests and pathological examinations should be conducted for prompt diagnosis and treatment to achieve good outcomes.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Cui Fang Bo
Oncology
48sec home-news-image

Can oral cancer be cured?

Once oral cancer is diagnosed, it is confirmed as malignant, and only a certain proportion of patients with early-stage disease can be cured. After the diagnosis of oral cancer, surgery is the preferred treatment option. It involves the removal of the clearly defined tumor within the mouth, and if necessary, dissection of the lymph nodes in the neck. After radical resection, adjunctive radiotherapy and chemotherapy are commonly used to improve disease control. Some early-stage patients can be cured after undergoing the above treatments. However, when oral cancer progresses to a certain extent, even after radical surgery and postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the risk of recurrence and metastasis remains high, making it incurable.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Wang Ji Zhong
Internal Medicine
54sec home-news-image

Oral cancer is caused by what?

Oral cancer poses a significant threat to human life, and it is important to pay attention to early oral diseases to achieve the goal of early detection and treatment. There are many causes of oral cancer, mainly including the following points: The first is the patient's poor dietary habits, such as long-term alcohol abuse and smoking. Eating hard foods frequently can also cause chronic inflammation. Moreover, neglecting oral hygiene and not having the habit of brushing teeth morning and night can lead to the growth of bacteria and fungi, causing inflammation in the mouth, which can induce oral cancer. Another cause is prolonged irritation of the oral mucosa by inflamed gums, the roots of teeth, and unsuitable dentures, which can produce chronic ulcers and carcinogenesis. A deficiency in vitamin A is also somewhat related to the development of oral cancer.