Nonsimultaneous bilateral radical neck dissection.

From January 1963 to December 1977, 63 patients underwent a therapeutic second (staged) neck dissection at our institute. The mean interval between the first neck dissection and the second neck dissection was 13.2 months; 58.7% of the second neck dissections were performed between 6 and 12 months after the first. Forty-six patients had histologically positive and 17 patients had histologically negative nodes in the first neck clearance; 57 patients had histologically positive and 6 patients had histologically negative nodes in the second neck clearance. Forty-two of the 63 patients had bilateral nodal disease, while 2 patients had no disease in either side of the neck. Fifty-four percent of the patients had postoperative complications; 30% developed immediate postoperative edema, and 14% had wound infection. The overall three-year and five-year survival rates were 60% and 38%, respectively. Patients who had bilateral histologically positive nodes had a 16% five-year survival rate, while those who had histologically positive nodes in one side of the neck only had a 26% five-year survival rate.