Has anyone had surgery to remove scar tissue?

hi richard1990, wishing you the best and i have to agree with you as far as age. however, my endocrinologist says they don't look at age when i mentioned having thyroid surgery being an octogenarian, wow, the realization of being in the "superelderly" how about that. learn some new words for my age as far as surgeries go. i meet with the surgeon this morning to discuss things. so i will let all of you know even though i am on the throat cancer page. wishing wellness and happiness to each and everyone and you better believe prayers are said for each and everyone of you.

thomason, thank you for telling us exactly what you will not find on the internet except from the person that has esperienced it for theirselves. so sorry for you and your friend, i thank you both for educating us. you just never know what someone has been through. i do agree with you in your advice to stay close to our maker to find peace. prayers for you and your friend.

Hi. I don't know whether you've lost your voice, but if you have this could help. My right vocal cord died and I could only whisper. I had a "box" surgically inserted into my throat area. It has fine hairs or threads (sorry I 'm trying to make sense of this) and when I speak they flutter to produce sound. It does work. The voice is about 65% which is better than nothing. An ears, nose and throat specialist performed the surgery. It is a permanent fix which is good. Hope this helps. Hang in there!

I am a 3+ year survivor of Stage IV ESCC. I am totally non-PO due to extensive esophageal strictures. I've undergone 10 dilation but my esophagus is now too friable to attempt further dilations as it would repture. I am totally dependent upon my G tube for meds, nutrition and hydration. I was treated with aggressive chemo-radiation to try to control my disease. Unfortunately, one of rarely discussed side effects of radiation therapy for esophageal, throat and head and neck cancers is reactive fibrosis. While radiotherapy kills the cancer, it also produces free radical reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation which cause tissue fibroblasts near the cancer lesion to produce increased amounts of connective tissue. This results in increased tissue stiffness and rigidity as well as strictures. The throat and esophagus may be amenable to dilation but the relief may be temporary as fibrosis and strictures inevitably recur. For severe fibrosis and large strictures, surgery is generally not advisable or effective as the tissue is generally friable and there may be too little viable tissue for effective healing.

This is an unmet medical need for esophageal, throat and head and neck cancer patients. I wish that radiation oncologists, oncologic surgeons and gastroenterologist would explore the use of co-administration of various antifibrotic agents, approved or experimental, to determine whether they might reduce or prevent radiation induced fibrosis and stricture formation.

It makes sense that the issue would be worse if they went in again. The surgery I will have on Oct 27 is made considerably more difficult due to the 37 sessions of intensive radiation.

I have not had the scar tissue removal sugery. However I do have swallow and restricted breathing (short of breath) problems. I went to Emory in Atlanta to again have swallow study and the scope procedure to check the scar tissue which is present. I have been told by the the throat Doctor and my Heart Doctor that the scar tissue was a factor in my breathing problem. Both are of the opinion that surgery to remove the tissue could make the situation worse in the long run. The reason being that surgery could produce worse scaring as a result of the surgery. I had throat cancer in 1990 and have speaking problems worse now that before, still have swallow and breathing problems, I just live it day to day. I would be interested in others that have had the scar removal surgery. I think because of my age (79) they just don't have the interest they would have in a younger person.

I had swallow therapy after intensive radiation to my throat, and also speech therapy, after the feeding tube was removed. They helped, but with all of the scar tissue in my throat these issues are ongoing for me as well.

It's really scary to realize that what was done to help is now going to produce ongoing negative results. My radiation treatments ended mid-July of 21. Like you, I was eating well. Had surgeries (in May and June of 22) and my throat was stretched during one of those surgeries because of a stricture. I thought I could feel it closing around the middle of August this year--a definite change--but they tell me no--it's not a stricture, but ongoing long-term effects of radiation. I start swallow therapy tomorrow.

Following radiation for throat cancer, I was eating pretty well for a few months after treatment ended (Nov '21). Months later, (Jun'22?) I have increased scar tissue making swallowing and eating difficult. Had my esophagus stretched (Sept'22) only to learn my throat was more constricted than it was in Jan'22 when feeding tube removed. Gastroenterologist could not use his normal scope to begin stretching procedure and did not seem optimistic that future stretching will help. Can scar tissue be removed from inside my neck?

Welcome, @richard1990.
You may be interested in joining this webinar about skin changes caused by radiation cancer treatments hosted by Mayo's Cancer Education Center. You don't have to be a Mayo patient to attend. Read more and register here:
- Radiation Related Skin Changes https://connect.mayoclinic.org/event/radiation-related-skin-changes/

Have you considered a second opinion? What are the alternatives? How do you help your limited breathing now?