What is a radical neck dissection? when is it done?

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What is a radical neck dissection? The surgeon removes a block of tissue from the collarbone to the jaw and from the front to the back of the neck. The large muscle on the side of the neck that is used for rotating, flexing or extending the neck is also taken out, along with the major vein on the side of the neck. Sometimes, a less drastic operation, called a supraomohyoid neck dissection is done. This takes out only the lymph nodes, the tissue surrounding the nodes and a muscle at the front of the neck. Another technique, called a functional neck dissection, saves the muscles of the neck, taking out only the lymph nodes and tissues surrounding them.
What kind of incision is made with a radical neck dissection? The incision depends upon what the surgery is for. It can run from below the ear to the collarbone. Everything in the front of the neck on one side or on both sides may be removed. This may include the lymph nodes, blood vessels, nerves, and the salivary gland under the jawbone.

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What are invasive and noninvasive procedures?

In noninvasive procedures, nothing penetrates your body except perhaps a needle to draw some blood from your arm. A good example is an electrocardiogram, in which electrodes are attached to the outside of your chest. Sometimes when your physcian suspects a major problem and you could be a candidate for surgery, an invasive procedure can give better and more reliable information than the noninvasive type. A good example of an invasive procedure is when a catheter a flexible, fine plastic tube is inserted through a blood vessel in the arm or leg. The physician pushes this flexible tube into the heart, most often to inject dye for an angiogram to find out where the blockages are in the heart’s arteries (the coronary arteries).

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