Evaluation of the efficacy of a novel radical neck dissection preserving the external jugular vein, greater auricular nerve, and deep branches of the cervical nerve

BACKGROUND Conventional radical neck dissection often causes a variety of complications. Although the dissection method has been improved by retaining some tissues to reduce complications, the incomplete dissection may cause recurrence of disease. In the present study, we developed a novel radical neck dissection, which preserves the external jugular vein, the greater auricular nerve, and the deep branches of the cervical nerve, to effectively reduce complications and subsequently, to promote the postoperative survival quality. METHODS A total of 100 cases of radical neck dissection were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the efficacy, rate of complication, and postoperative dysfunction of patients treated with the novel radical neck dissection. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-square test. RESULTS Compared with conventional radical neck dissection, the novel radical neck dissection could significantly reduce complications and promote postoperative survival quality. Particularly, the preservation of the external jugular vein reduced the surgical risk (ie, intracranial hypertension) and complications (eg, facial edema, dizziness, headache). Preservation of the deep branches of the cervical nerve and greater auricular nerve resulted in relatively ideal postoperative functions of the shoulders and ear skin sensory function (P < 0.05), while the two types of dissection procedures showed no differences in the recurrence rate (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Our novel radical neck dissection procedure could effectively reduce the complications of intracranial hypertension, shoulder dysfunction, and ear sensory disturbances. It can be used as a regular surgical approach for oral carcinoma radical neck dissection.