Last updated: 02/17/2009

Risks associated with a glossectomy include:

• Bleeding from the tongue. This is an early complication of surgery; it can result in severe swelling leading to blockage of the airway.
• Poor speech and difficulty swallowing. This complication...
  
  depends on how much of the tongue is removed.
• Fistula formation. Incomplete healing may result in the formation of a passage between the skin and the mouth cavity within the first two weeks following a glossectomy. This complication often occurs after feeding has resumed. Patients who have had radiotherapy are at greater risk of developing a fistula.
• Flap failure. This complication is often due to problems with the flap's blood supply.