Functional neck dissection: three decades of controversy.

Functional neck dissection (FND) is a neck-functional, tumor-radical approach for the management of the neck in patients with head and neck cancer. Based on the anatomic knowledge of the lymphatic compartments of the neck, FND is a different surgical technique rather than a modification of the classic procedure described by Crile. From an oncologic viewpoint, FND is a relatively safe operation to treat the cervical spread from head and neck cancer as long as the indications and technical details are carefully followed. In this report, based on our experience with more than 1,000 FNDs, we analyze the history and the philosophy of the operation.