Patency and flow of the internal jugular vein after functional neck dissection

Objectives: To assess the patency and flow of the internal jugular vein aft er functional neck dissection, Study Design: Prospective study of 54 intern al jugular veins in 29 oncologic patients undergoing functional neck dissec tion between September 1994 and February 1997. Methods: Patency, presence o f thrombosis, characteristics of the vein wall, compressibility, area of th e vein both in rest and during Valsalva maneuver, expiratory flow speed, Va lsalva flow speed, jugular flow in each side, and total jugular flow were a ssessed in all veins before and after dissection. All patients were evaluat ed before and after the procedure by means of duplex Doppler ultrasonograph y. Results: In no case was there thrombosis before or after the operation. Although total jugular flow decreases during the early postoperative period , it recovers to normal parameters within 3 months after surgery. Conclusio ns: According to these results, the patency of the internal jugular vein re mains unaltered after functional neck dissection. Ultrasonographically ther e is no thrombosis after this procedure.