All adult patients (18 years old and over) undergoing unilateral SLNDs either levels I-III, I-IV, or II-III, II-IV, or II-VA for oral cavity, oropharynx (if the resection does not connect to the neck), thyroid, salivary gland, parotid, and skin carcinoma by one of three Head and Neck Surgery faculty members at UCSF will be consecutively registered. A randomized packet containing the patient's research ID number will be pulled and included into the patient's chart. Randomization will be done at the initiation of the study by creating a randomization list with blocking and stratification by surgeon. An envelope containing the patients randomized group assignment will not be opened until the end of the case. The patients will be randomized to one of two groups; drains placed routinely and removed once output is less than 30ml over 24-hours or 15ml over 12-hours and drains placed routinely and removed on rounds the morning of postoperative day one if output is less than 100ml total and does not appear chylous. Exclusion criteria will be bilateral neck dissections, revision neck dissections (prior surgery in the ipsilateral neck including excisional lymph node biopsy), previous radiation, need for sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) excision, need for internal jugular (IJ) excision, pectoralis major flap reconstruction of a ipsilateral skin defect, and anticoagulant medications other than routine deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis with either weight-based subcutaneous heparin or enoxaparin within 8 days postoperatively.