Facelift Approach for Neck Dissection in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lateral Border of the Tongue

Abstract

The scars produced by the surgical approaches commonly used for neck dissection in patients with malignant tumors of the head and neck are generally very evident and unaesthetic, especially when performed on young patients or on patients with a tendency to form keloids. There are multiple alternative approaches and techniques that attempt to eliminate or conceal these cervical scars, but they have been used almost exclusively in benign or congenital processes. Amid these aesthetic and/or minimally invasive cervical techniques, we highlight rhytidectomy/facelift, intraoral, endoscopic, and robotic approaches, among others. We present the novel application of a facelift approach for selective neck dissection in a young patient with a lateral tongue squamous cell carcinoma, with excellent cosmetic and oncologic results.