title: Bilateral radical neck dissection: report of results in 55 patients.
abstract: Between 1952 and 1982, 55 patients underwent bilateral radical neck dissections at the National Cancer Institute. Of these, 17 patients had simultaneous (one-stage) bilateral dissections and 38 had nonsimultaneous (two-stage) dissections. In 37 patients both internal jugular veins were removed, while one vein was preserved in 18 patients. The operative mortality was 11.8% (2/17 patients) for simultaneous bilateral neck dissections and 2.6% (1/38 patients) for nonsimultaneous staged dissections. The overall operative mortality was 5.4%. Of the 18 patients in whom one jugular vein was preserved, six patients (33%) had postoperative facial edema and swelling, while of the 37 patients in which neither jugular vein was saved, 20 patients (54%) developed significant postoperative facial edema. The overall 2-year recurrence rate was 50%. The overall survival rates were 55% at 3 years and 39% at 5 years.
authors.affiliation: Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Sindelar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies