Neck dissection complications

Because of the proximity of vital structures, certain complications are inherent to neck dissection (ND) for the treatment of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. Aim: To establish the incidence of complications of ND. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study of patient registries. ND with curative intention was evaluated in 480 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract from January 1995 to December 2008 to identify perioperative complications. Results: Considering the total quantity of dissected neck sides, 413 radical ND and 295 selective ND were studied, of which 220 were supraomohyoid ND and 75 were jugular ND, totaling 708 sides. There were no deaths. The most frequent complication was marginal mandibular nerve injury (5.5%), followed by accessory nerve injury (5.1%). However, in 18 out of 21 cases this nerve was sacrificed for oncological completeness. Conclusions: There were no perioperative deaths. Nerves were the most commonly injured structures; the marginal mandibular branch is injured most (5.5%).