Impact of drainless neck dissection on surgical outcome: a matched case-control study

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Head and Neck Surgery
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• The safety of drainless lateral neck dissection (ND) requires further investigation.
• Fibrin sealant (FS) is a potential adjunct for achieving drainless ND.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and outcomes of drainless lateral neck dissection (ND) utilizing fibrin sealant (FS).
• To compare post-operative complications between drainless ND and conventional ND.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, matched case-control study at a single academic institution.
• Compared patients undergoing drainless ND with FS to controls matched for age, sex, BMI, laterality, and dissection extent.
• Included an additional analysis for thyroid cancer patients undergoing lateral ND (levels II-IV).

Main Results:

• 118 patients (42 drainless ND, 76 controls) included; no significant differences in pre-operative characteristics or dissection extent.
• No significant differences in post-operative infections, seroma, aspirations, or antibiotic use between groups.
• Analysis of 23 drainless ND for thyroid cancer showed no significant increase in seroma or infection compared to controls, confirmed by multivariate analysis.

Conclusions:

• Drainless lateral neck dissection (ND) using fibrin sealant (FS) is feasible and safe for non-mucosa violating surgeries.
• This technique does not significantly increase the risk of post-operative seroma or associated complications.
• Findings support the use of drainless ND with FS as a safe alternative to conventional methods.