Complications after Functional Neck Dissection in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: An Observational, Retrospective, Single-Centre Study

Abstract

Introduction: Functional neck dissection (FND) represents a surgical procedure usually associated with less morbidity.

Methods: An observational, retrospective, analysis of patients diagnosed with any type of head and neck malignancy was designed to summarize and report the incidence of postoperative complications in patients undergoing FND including just those levels described for selective neck dissections in a tertiary university hospital between June 2016 and June 2019.

Results: 131 patients met the inclusion criteria. The total number of sides studied was 200. 40.5% of the patients suffer a complication in the postoperative period, being the spinal accessory nerve (SAN) injury the most common complication (10%). We did not find any statistical -correlation between the previous organ-preservation treatments and surgical complications (p = 0.207). An advanced T stage (p = 0.009) and the need of bilateral FND (p = 0.034) were significantly correlated with a higher risk of surgical complications.

Conclusion: FND represents a useful technique. In this study, 40.5% of the patients suffer a complication in the postoperative period, being the SAN injury the most common complication. However, these data contribute to increasing our knowledge about surgical complications related to FND.

Keywords: Cancer; Dissection; Functional; Neck.