Branchial Cleft Cyst

Branchial Cleft Cyst
What is a branchial cleft cyst? Possible side effects of surgery

A branchial cleft cyst is a lump that grows on the side of Pain. After any surgery, some pain is normal. While you
the neck. It is not cancer. These cysts form as a baby grows are in the hospital, your care team will do their best to
in the womb. Often, branchial cleft cysts are not found help control your pain. They will ask you often about
until later in life. If you have a cyst, your doctor will how much pain you are feeling. This helps your care team
check both sides of your neck. decide what pain medicines will work best for you. They
may put pain medicine directly into your veins through
What are the symptoms?
an IV or give you pills.
Most branchial cleft cysts are painless and cause no
When you go home, you will get a prescription for the
symptoms. If the cyst is large, it may cause noisy
same pain pills you took in the hospital. Follow the
breathing. It can also cause trouble with swallowing,
directions for your medicines. Tell your care team if your
speaking, or breathing. Sometimes the cysts get tender
pain does not get better or if it gets worse.
and swollen when you have a cold or other respiratory
illness. In severe cases, the cyst can become infected and Infection. Any time you have a break in your skin, there
break open. is a risk of infection. Good hand washing is the best and
easiest way to prevent infection. Wash or disinfect your
How are branchial cleft cysts treated? hands often, especially after using the bathroom, before
Branchial cleft cysts often don’t need to be treated. If they eating, and before touching the area of your surgery.
become infected, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics. If Make sure your caregivers and visitors do, too.
you get infections or severe symptoms often, your doctor Watch for these signs that show an infection may
may send you to a head and neck doctor to talk about be starting:
having the cyst removed.
• More pain, redness, or warmth at your surgery area
You may get a CT or MRI scan before surgery to check • More blood or fluid coming from your surgery area
the size of the cyst. The images from the scans help your • A fever higher than 100.3° F
health care team plan for surgery.
If you notice any of these signs, call your care team
General anesthesia will keep you asleep during the right away.
surgery. Your surgeon will try to make sure the entire cyst
Swelling. Swelling around the surgery area can cause
is taken out.
pressure on your throat. This can make it hard to breathe.
Sometimes, branchial cleft cysts may come back after The surgeon will put tubes to drain fluids from the
surgery. If you’ve had this surgery before or have had surgery area to help prevent swelling. While you are in the
many infections in the cyst, you may have a higher risk. hospital, nurses will connect a suction device to the tubes
Your care team will watch for this in follow-up visits. to help remove the fluid. Your nurses will check the fluid
often to make sure there is no sign of an infection.
Swelling can also make it hard to swallow. The swelling
should get better a few days after surgery. Tell your care
team or speech and swallowing therapist if you cannot
drink liquids or if you have questions about what you
should eat and drink.
continued on page 2
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Produced by HCI © 2018 • Approved by a team of medical, health, and communications specialists • March 2018 • Review Date March 2021
Bleeding. The head and neck have many blood vessels, Blood clots. Not being active raises the risk of blood
so bleeding is a risk during this surgery. Your nurses will clots in your legs. If a clot happens, it can move through
check the fluid from the drain tubes for signs of too the veins to your lungs. This can be deadly. To help
much bleeding. Some bleeding is common right after prevent blood clots, your nurses will ask you to get up
surgery, but the fluid that drains becomes more yellow as and move around as much as you can. While you are in
you heal. the hospital, your care team may put foam boots on your
Pneumonia. Pneumonia is a very serious lung infection. legs. The boots inflate and deflate to keep the blood in
Staying in bed too much keeps your lungs from your leg veins moving so it cannot clot. Your doctor may
expanding all the way. This can raise the risk of getting also prescribe a blood thinner medicine to help prevent
pneumonia after surgery. To help prevent pneumonia, blood clots.
your nurses will ask you to start walking as soon after
your surgery as it is safe. This helps keep your lungs in
good shape.
The nurses will also give you a tool to exercise your
lungs. It is called an incentive spirometer. To use it, you
breathe out as deeply as you can and breathe in through
the mouthpiece of the device. It measures how much air
you breathe in. At home, use the device every two hours.
Using an incentive spirometer
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What is a branchial cleft cyst? Possible side effects of surgery

Using an incentive spirometer

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