Neck dissection

Anatomical Study of Accessory Nerve Innervation Relating to Functional Neck Dissection

“…Radical neck dissection as a surgical technique for the treatment of neck lymph node metastasis of head and neck cancer was first reported by Crile (1) in 1906, and began to see wide use after Martin and et al (2) published their report in 1951. The basic technique for neck dissection involves excision of the neck lymphatic tissue together with the accessory nerve, sternocleidomastoid muscle and internal jugular vein, but this has been pointed out the marked postoperative morphological and functional disorders (3) .…”

Advanced Developments in Neck Dissection Technique: Perspectives in Minimally Invasive Surgery

“…Radical neck dissection in a series of 132 patients was found to have a mortality rate of 8% and a 3-year survival rate of 38% (Kazi, 2003); however 86 of these 132 patients underwent types of dissection that likely corresponded to modern selective neck dissections rather than en bloc radical neck dissection. Following a report showing the results of 665 operations in 599 patients by Martin et al (1951), the technique of Martin, similar in most respects to that of Crile, became the standard "radical neck dissection", and for many years was considered the only truly curative procedure for regional lymph node disease in patients with head and neck cancer. This operation involved the removal of all lymphatic and non-lymphatic structures from the mandible to the clavicle and between the platysma and the prevertebral fascia, except for the carotid arteries; hypoglossal, lingual, vagus and phrenic nerves; and brachial plexus.…”

Assessment of shoulder function after functional neck dissection and selective neck dissection (Levels I, II, III) in patients with carcinoma of tongue: a comparative study

“…However, this technique did not remove all of the lymphatic tissue in the neck that was at risk for metastasis. It was not until the Radical Neck Dissection (RND) described by Crile [5] and later popularized by Martin [6,7] that systematic removal of all of the lymphatic tissue in the lateral neck became routine. RND is not without its price, however, and results in a cosmetic deformity of the neck and (to varying degrees) in shoulder dysfunction, particularly concerning pain and the decreased ability to abduct the arm beyond 90°.…”