Functional Neck Dissection

Functional Neck Dissection (FND) was first described in 1960 by Osvaldo Suárez, from Argentina. Although it is generally considered in the English literature as one more “modified radical neck dissection,” FND is not a modification of the radical neck dissection described by George Crile in 1906, but a new technique with entirely different surgical principles. FND is a respectful anatomical technique that takes the cervical fascial planes as the motorways of the neck, to remove the fibrofatty tissue that contains the lymphatics, whilst preserving every single functioning structure. This chapter includes a brief description of the surgical technique. A complete explanation of the history, principles, and steps of FND can be found in other works of the authors (see Further Reading).