Shoulder Dysfunction and Quality of Life Following Modified Radical and Selective Neck Dissection: A Prospective Comparative Study

Head and neck cancers are fairly common in India due to the widespread consumption of tobacco and neck dissection is a major component in the surgical management. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of MRND and SND on shoulder function and quality of life in patients of head and neck cancer. Our study is a prospective comparative study on 65 head and neck cancer patients divided into 2 groups—33 in group A (MRND group) and 32 in group B (SND group). Clinical evaluation of shoulder function was done pre-operatively, 1 week, 1 month, 3 month and 6 month post-operatively using arm abduction scores (AAS) and shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI). Nerve-conduction study (NCS) was done pre-operatively and 3 months post-operatively for assessment of SAN. Neck dissection quality of life questionnaire (NDQOL) was used as a quality-of-life measure. A total of 65 neck dissections were included in the analysis (33 in group A and 32 in group B) out of which 53 were males and 12 were females. The mean AAS on the 6th post-operative month in group A was significantly lower than that of group B (p = 0.01). The mean SPADI scores on the 6th post-operative month was significantly worse in group A than group B (p value 0.01). On NCS, a significant decrease in amplitude was seen in group A (p = 0.02) and a significant increase in latency was noted in group B (p = 0.005). Quality of life score on 6th post-operative month showed no significant difference between both the groups (p > 0.05). Level V dissection in MRND is associated with higher incidence and greater severity of shoulder dysfunction. AAS and SPADI score are useful tools in post operative follow up of shoulder dysfunction. NCS helps in the detection of neuropathy and to determine its severity. Early rehabilitation promotes long term recovery.