I've had 2 bouts of iron deficiency anemia. I am 8 years post surgery for squamous cell and I don't think it's the type of surgery as much as what it does to the body's ability to digest nutrients. Malabsorption is a huge issue so I'd suggest talking to your husband's GI doctor as well as primary and get a comprehensive vitamin work-up. It's taken me 8 years to come by this wisdom but it seems to be part of the trade-off for having such a disruptive surgery.

i got 2 iron infusions and it really helped. One of my docs also ordered IV vitamin infusions once month for about a year so they would bypass the GI tract and go right into the body.

let me know if you want more information.\