颈淋巴结清扫术是甲状腺癌治疗的一个重要组成部分，手术范围内有诸多的神经组织，主要有交感神经、迷走神经、副神经、舌下神经、面神经下颌缘支、膈神经及臂丛神经。颈淋巴结清扫术应由熟悉颈部解剖且具有一定手术技巧的医师来完成。颈部主要神经的损伤均会给病人带来相应的功能损伤，有时甚至影响病人一生的生存质量，所以术者一定要认真对待每一例病人。

Nerve damage during the neck dissection for thyroid cancer：causes and prevention        WU Yi. Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Fudan University Thyroid Cancer Center,Shanghai 200032，China
Abstract    Neck dissection is the essential part of the treatment of thyroid cancer. There are a lot of nerves involved in the procedure, for example, the sympathetic nerve, vagus nerve, accessory nerve, subglossal nerve, the marginal mandibular branch of facial nerve, phrenic nerve and brachial plexus. The physician performing the surgery is supposed to be very skillful and very acquainted with the neck anatomy. The damage of the nerve will cause the corresponding damage of the body funtion, and therefore affect the quality of life in a certain level. In conclusion, each of the candidate for neck dissection should be handled seriously.