Editorial: Complications of Neck Dissection for Thyroid Cancer

Excerpt

There is a high incidence of nodal metastasis in well-differentiated and medullary thyroid carcinomas. With a diagnosis of papillary carcinoma, 40% to 60% will develop nodal metastasis.1 Elective nodal dissection is generally not indicated, however careful evaluation of the central compartment is essential in all patients undergoing thyroid surgery for suspected thyroid cancer.2 If the lymph nodes are clinically apparent at the time of thyroidectomy, central compartment clearance is usually considered. Neck dissection, though a reliably safe procedure, carries certain potential complications which are important to recognize. Roh et al.3 from Korea have mainly discussed the issue related to chyle leak after neck dissection for thyroid cancer. The purpose of this editorial is to discuss various types of neck dissections for thyroid cancer and routine complications, along with the techniques to avoid these complications. …