Published in:
01-07-2003 | World Progress in Surgery
Evolution of Neck Dissection for Improved
Functional Outcome
Authors:
Sandeep Samant, M.S., K. Thomas Robbins, M.D.
Published in:
World Journal of Surgery
|
Issue 7/2003
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Abstract
Neck dissection plays a crucial role in the management of
metastatic neck disease. Until recently, radical neck dissection has been the
standard treatment for malignant cervical adenopathy irrespective of the nodal
staging. However, in recent years, there has been a trend toward the
development of more conservative operations, wherein certain nonlymphatic
structures and lymph node groups can be selectively preserved. Radical neck
dissection still remains the surgical standard against which various
modifications must be compared. The need to perform more conservative surgery
comes from the realization that the radical operation is attended by
significant postoperative morbidity, and that some of the structures removed in
the course of this operation can actually be preserved without any compromise
in oncologic safety. The purpose of this article is to discuss the evolution of
conservation surgery in the management of metastatic neck disease, define the
clinical applications of various types of neck dissection, and evaluate the
implications of these conservation approaches on preservation of
function.