What does neck dissection treat?

Cancer from the mouth, throat or another head and neck site can travel to lymph nodes in the neck. During a neck dissection, a surgeon removes a planned group of nodes and sends them for laboratory examination. The results show whether cancer cells are present and help determine the next part of treatment.

The operation may be part of treatment for head and neck cancer or mouth cancer, either with removal of the main tumour or after another treatment. The extent varies: some operations remove only selected nodes, while others include more tissue. Structures such as nerves, muscles and blood vessels are considered carefully during planning.

Ask which lymph-node levels will be removed and whether the primary tumour will be treated at the same time. Discuss possible effects on shoulder movement, neck sensation, swallowing and the appearance of the scar. After surgery, follow drain and wound instructions, do prescribed neck and shoulder exercises and attend appointments where pathology results and further radiotherapy can be discussed.

Contact the surgical team for increasing redness, drainage, fever, wound separation, new swelling or pain that is worsening. Seek urgent help for difficulty breathing, rapidly enlarging neck swelling, heavy bleeding, severe weakness or new facial or limb weakness.

Which nodes are being removed and why? What movement or sensation changes should I expect? Will radiotherapy or another treatment follow? How will the pathology result affect my care?