Improving the management of cervical chyle leak following neck dissection: A case series of management algorithm; 10 years clinical experience with Video Assisted Thoracoscopy and Thoracic Duct Ligation

Key points instead of abstract as per author guidelines: • Chyle leaks (CLs) following neck dissection for metastatic head and neck malignancy are infrequent but represent a serious complication, with an incidence of 1-2.5%. • CL is associated with significant morbidity including metabolic imbalance, immunosuppression, dehydration, poor wound healing and prolonged length of hospital stay. • A protocolised approach to the management of CL post neck dissections is highlighted for expedient patient management. • Thoracic duct (TD) ligation using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is an effective method of treating moderate (500-1000ml/24 hours) to high-volume CL (>1000ml/24 hours) not responding to medical therapy. • VATS TD ligation is a safe procedure to treat CL. It has a low morbidity compared to other surgical techniques (neck re-exploration or open thoracotomy).