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Motor and sensory complications following neck dissection: a prospective telephone-interview study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2025

Matthew Conley Open the ORCID record for Matthew Conley [Opens in a new window] ,
James Brooks ,
Dare Oladokun ,
Rebecca Dawson  and
James Moor
Matthew Conley*
Affiliation:
The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
James Brooks
Affiliation:
The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, Lewisham, London, UK
Dare Oladokun
Affiliation:
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Rebecca Dawson
Affiliation:
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
James Moor
Affiliation:
The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
*
Corresponding author: Matthew Conley; Email: m.conley@nhs.net
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Abstract

Objectives

To clarify incidence, progression and effect on quality of life of shoulder/neck disability, oral asymmetry, neuropathic pain and numbness following neck dissection.

Methods

This prospective telephone-interview study delivered the Neck Dissection Impairment Index, Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire, House–Brackmann Scale and questions assessing numbness to patients before and three times after neck dissection.

Results

Mean Neck Dissection Impairment Index (6.43 vs 22.17; p = 0.004) and Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire scores (0.76 vs 2.30; p = 0.004), proportions of patients with oral asymmetry (3 per cent vs 33.3 per cent; p = 0.016), ear (5.9 per cent vs 46.7 per cent; p = 0.002), jaw (5.9 per cent vs 53.3 per cent; p < 0.001) and neck numbness (5.9 per cent vs 53.3 per cent; p < 0.001) each increased significantly from pre-operation versus 12 weeks after. Neuropathic pain diagnoses did not reach significance. No outcome returned to baseline and progression of each was illustrated over time.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrated that these complications are common and persist throughout short-term recovery. Screening to identify and manage complications could improve post-operative care.

Keywords

neck dissectionpostoperative complicationsprospective study

Information

Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , First View , pp. 1 - 8
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED.

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Footnotes

Matthew Conley and James Brooks are joint first authors on the article

Matthew Conley takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

Presented at the British Academic Conference in Otolaryngology January 2023 in Birmingham, UK.

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