Radical neck dissection

Radical neck dissection has evolved into a standard surgical technique over the past century. It has been the most effective method of attempting to control suspected or gross metastasis to the cervical region. The technique embraces the en masse removal of all tissue elements in the space between the subdermis and the fascia colli. The perimeters of the dissection extend from the midline anteriorly to the anterior border of the trapezius muscle posteriorly, and from the clavicle to the mandible. The essential portion of this large mass of tissue is the cervical lymph system with its lymph nodes and afferent and efferent connecting vessels. Controllability of the cancer process is in direct proportion to the number of nodes involved, their size and their position in the neck. Complications in the routine radical neck dissection are minimal. Cure rates are influenced by the type, size and site of the primary cancer, the possibilities for adjunctive treatment such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and the, as yet, little understood immunological factors. The radical neck dissection has proven itself to be an essential tool in the management of cancer in the head and neck.