A Single Center Randomized Controlled Trial Assessing Pain and Quality of Life Following Surgery

Inclusion Criteria:

- Biopsy proven diagnosis or clinical diagnosis of any benign oral cavity lesion.
Pre-surgical biopsy will not be required if lesion is suspected to be benign.

- Biopsy proven diagnosis or clinical diagnosis of premalignant oral cavity lesions
(leukoplakia, erythroplakia, lichen planus, dysplasia)Pre-surgical biopsy will not be
required if lesion is suspected to be benign.

- Biopsy proven diagnosis of small superficial oral cavity SCC (stage T1N0) requiring
resection without the need for neck dissection.

- All pathology will be reviewed at MSK to confirm diagnosis.

- The lesion plus the resection margin should not exceed 4.0 cm circumferentially.

- Planned to undergo surgical treatment by resection without flap reconstruction and
without neck dissection.

- All patients age 18 years of age and older.

- Karnofsky performance score over 60.

Patients on blood thinners (aspirin or Coumadin) will be asked to stop medications 7 days
prior to surgery. In the case of Coumadin, patients are switched to lovenox 7 days prior to
surgery and this is stopped the day before surgery. Following surgery aspirin or Coumadin
are recommenced 48 hours postop.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Patients with previous Head and Neck radiation

- Pregnant or lactating female patients.

- Patients with oral cavity squamous cell cancer requiring neck dissection