The purpose of this report is to record the operative mortality and morbidity associated with a specific major operation of the head and neck, consisting of a radical neck dissection, resection of a portion of the mandible, and excision of the intraoral primary lesion, all performed in continuity ("commando" *).
The study underscores the fact that the prohibitive mortality and morbidity formerly associated with such procedures (during the 1920's and 1930's) no longer exist. Advances in medicine during the last two decades, particularly chemotherapy, antibiotics, blood banks, and newer techniques of anesthesia and surgery have made a low mortality and morbidity possible.
CLINICAL MATERIAL
The cases in this study represent all the "commandos" performed at Memorial Center, New York, during the one-year period from Jan. 1, 1950, through Dec. 31, 1950. There were 114 patients so treated during this period.No cases were excluded, and there was no attempt at selection.