Outcomes Comparing Different Methods of Skin Closure in Patients Undergoing Head and Neck Surgery.

When patients undergo neck dissection surgeries, the current standard of care is to close the skin layer with either metal staples, which are removed a few days post-operatively, or with sutures, which can be absorbable or removed. To date, there is no conclusive data in the literature that definitively suggests one method is better than the other, with regard to wound complications or mature scar cosmesis. Currently, skin closure method is chosen by each individual surgeon, and is based on personal preference, factoring in evaluation of the wound. The goal of the study is to compare the two methods of skin closure, and the measured outcomes the investigators will be looking at are patient satisfaction, wound complications, and mature scar cosmesis. The investigators will be randomizing patients undergoing head and neck surgery to receive either staples or subcuticular sutures, and giving them surveys at their post-operative clinic visits to evaluate the outcomes, to determine if patients perceive one method to be superior to the other.