Use of the Harmonic Scalpel in Neck Dissection

Neck dissection is the main technique used by head and neck surgeons to treat known or suspected metastatic cancer to the neck. The traditional radical neck dissection was effective at treating metastatic cancer to the neck however the downside to this technique was significant morbidity. Since the early 1960's there has been several proposed techniques to treat metastatic head and neck cancer that involves preserving important anatomical structures in the neck. The disadvantage to these techniques are that they require meticulous dissection and can lead to bleeding and an increase in operative time. One particular tool that has been proposed in other surgical subspecialties, including head and neck surgery, is the harmonic scalpel. Using this tool, tissue dissection and vessel occlusion at the same time can occur with a reduced thermal damage to the surrounding tissue when compared to traditional cautery. In this study, our purpose is to determine if the harmonic scalpel will lead to a decrease in blood loss and operative time in patients undergoing a modified radical neck dissection compared to electrocautery. Hypothesis: Use of the harmonic scalpel as a surgical adjunct will reduce operative time for neck dissection and will reduce intraoperative blood loss.

Sex

All

Minimum age

18 Years

Inclusion Criteria:

* age \> 18 years
* undergoing neck dissection (levels I-IV)

Exclusion Criteria:

* no prior head and neck surgery
* no prior head and neck cancer
* no prior head and neck radiation