[Incisión cervical transversa en disección radical de cuello]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Head and Neck Surgery

Background:

• Radical neck dissection is essential for staging neoplasms with lymph node metastasis risk.
• Historical incisions aimed for adequate exposure for complete nodal resection.
• Balancing oncologic safety with aesthetics, functionality, and quality of life is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a transverse neck incision for radical neck dissection.
• To assess oncologic adequacy by the number of lymph nodes dissected.
• To determine the cosmetic and complication outcomes of this surgical approach.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing radical neck dissection with a transverse incision.
• Evaluation of the number of dissected lymph nodes as a primary outcome measure.
• Assessment of cosmetic results and major complications.

Main Results:

• 35 patients included: 30 with squamous cell carcinoma and 5 with melanoma metastasis.
• An average of 25 lymph nodes were dissected, indicating a complete procedure.
• The single transverse incision provided access to all five nodal levels without requiring extensions; cosmetic results were satisfactory with no major complications.

Conclusions:

• The transverse cervical incision offers sufficient access to all five nodal levels and can be extended bilaterally.
• A mean of 25 dissected lymph nodes confirms the procedure's completeness.
• The approach yields satisfactory aesthetic outcomes and is oncologically sound.