Can a surgical doctor remove a person's hyoid bone without killing them?!


Question: Can a surgical doctor remove a person's hyoid bone without killing them?
Can someone survive having their hyoid bone removed?

(This is for a story I'm writing!) Thanks.

Answers:

The hyoid bone is a point of attachment for many muscles in the jaw and neck. If it is removed (for whatever reason you're cooking up), the neck and jaw would just collapse, and the person just wouldn't be able to eat or talk.
That being said, yes, in radical neck dissection for neck cancer, I'm sure it is removed sometimes, but we're talking MAJOR disfigurement here.
Look at Roger Ebert for an idea.

Occupational Therapist in a hospital



Yes, and I'd recommend some research on it to make the story more believable.




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