scholarly journals Characterization of dysphagia following anterior cervical spine surgery

Author(s):  
John P. Ziegler ◽  
Kate Davidson ◽  
Rebecca L. Cooper ◽  
Kendrea L. Garand ◽  
Shaun A. Nguyen ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Post-operative dysphagia is one of the most common complications of anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS). OBJECTIVE: Examine post-operative structural and physiologic swallowing changes in patients with dysphagia following ACSS as compared with healthy age and gender matched controls. METHODS: Videofluoroscopic swallow studies of adults with dysphagia after ACSS were retrospectively reviewed. Seventy-five patients were divided into early (≤2 months) and late (>  2 months) post-surgical groups. Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile (MBSImP), Penetration-Aspiration Scale (PAS) scores, and pharyngeal wall thickness (PWT) metrics were compared. RESULTS: Significant differences were identified for all parameters between the control and early post-operative group. MBSImP Pharyngeal Total (PT) scores were greater in the early group (Interquartile Range (IQR) = 9–14, median = 12) versus controls (4–7, 5, P <  0.001) and late group (0.75–7.25, 2, P <  0.001). The early group had significantly higher maximum PAS scores (IQR = 3–8, median = 7) than both the control group (1–2, 1, P <  0.001) and late post-operative group (1–1.25, 1, P <  0.001). PWT was significantly greater in the early (IQR = 11.12–17.33 mm, median = 14.32 mm) and late groups (5.31–13.01, 9.15 mm) than controls (3.81–5.41, 4.68 mm, P <  0.001). CONCLUSION: Dysphagic complaints can persist more than two months following ACSS, but often do not correlate with validated physiologic swallowing dysfunction on VFSS. Future studies should focus on applications of newer technology to elucidate relevant deficits.

Neurosurgery ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel Jung ◽  
Johannes Schramm

Abstract BACKGROUND Recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy (RLNP) occurs as a complication during anterior cervical spine surgery. In 2005 the authors demonstrated the high incidence of asymptomatic RLNP in a right-sided approach. OBJECTIVE This follow-up prospective observational study was designed to test 2 options said to reduce the rate of RLNP: reduced endotracheal cuff pressure and sinistral approach. METHODS Two hundred forty-two patients in whom anterior cervical spine surgery was performed were examined postoperatively with indirect laryngoscopy to evaluate the status of the vocal cords. All patients had a left-sided approach but 1 group (A, 149 patients) was operated on with an additional reduction of endotracheal cuff pressure to below 20 mm Hg. In 93 patients we could not reduce the cuff pressure. This group served as a control group (B). Both groups were compared with a historic control group with a right-sided approach and no cuff pressure reduction. In cases of vocal cord malfunction a follow-up examination was done 3 months later. RESULTS Group A (low cuff pressure) had a total rate of persisting symptomatic and asymptomatic RLNP of 1.3% and group B had a rate of 6.5% (normal cuff pressure). Compared with the historic study (N = 120) with a right-sided approach and a total rate of persisting RLNP of 13.3% in the left-sided approach, a marked reduction to 6.5% and 1.3% with an additional reduction of cuff pressure was seen. CONCLUSION The left-sided approach in anterior cervical spine surgery reduces the incidence of postoperative and permanent RLNP significantly. Endotracheal cuff pressure reduction used additionally decreases the rate of RLNP even more. These results indicate that anterior cervical spine surgery should be performed with a left-sided approach and, if possible, with an additional reduction of the endotracheal cuff pressure while the retractors are inserted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (11) ◽  
pp. 1101-1109
Author(s):  
Shumon Ian Dhar ◽  
Adam M. Wegner ◽  
Pope Rodnoi ◽  
John C. Wuellner ◽  
Omid Benjamin Mehdizadeh ◽  
...  

Objectives: To evaluate the precise objective fluoroscopic abnormalities in persons with dysphagia following anterior cervical spine surgery (ACSS). Methods: 129 patients with dysphagia after ACSS were age and sex matched to 129 healthy controls. All individuals underwent videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS). VFSS parameters abstracted included upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening, penetration aspiration scale (PAS), and pharyngeal constriction ratio (PCR). Other data collected included patient-reported outcome measures of voice and swallowing, number of levels fused, type of plate, vocal fold immobility, time from surgery to VFSS, and revision surgery status. Results: The mean age of the entire cohort was 63 (SD ± 11) years. The mean number of levels fused was 2.2 (±0.9). 11.6% (15/129) were revision surgeries. The mean time from ACSS to VFSS was 58.3 months (±63.2). The majority of patients (72.9%) had anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). For persons with dysphagia after ACSS, 7.8% (10/129) had endoscopic evidence of vocal fold immobility. The mean UES opening was 0.84 (±0.23) cm for patients after ACSS and 0.86 (±0.22) cm for controls ( P > .0125). Mean PCR was 0.12 (±0.12) for persons after ACSS and 0.08 (±0.08) for controls, indicating significant post-surgical pharyngeal weakness ( P < .0125). The median PAS was 1 (IQR 1) for persons after ACSS as well as for controls. For ACSS patients, PCR had a weak correlation with EAT-10 ( P < .0125). Conclusion: Chronic swallowing dysfunction after ACSS appears to be secondary to pharyngeal weakness and not diminished UES opening, the presence of aspiration, vocal fold immobility, or ACSS instrumentation factors. Level of Evidence: 3b


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 414-416
Author(s):  
V. Poissonnet ◽  
V. Lubrano ◽  
A. Sadeler ◽  
E. Chabrillac

1991 ◽  
Vol 100 (10) ◽  
pp. 852-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Goffart ◽  
Jacques Lenelle ◽  
Pierre Moreau ◽  
Jean Boverie

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-feng Zhao ◽  
Xiang-dong Lu ◽  
Yi-bo Zhao ◽  
De-tai Qi ◽  
Wen-xuan Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND To observed and evaluated the clinical efficacy of a new type cervical anterior screw plate system development for anterior cervical surgery. Methods 27 patients with cervical spine disease treated with new PRUNUS nail plate internal fixation were selected as observation group, and 29 patients treated with conventional cervical anterior screw fixation were selected as the control group. Cervical stability, internal fixation position and bone graft fusion were evaluated according to imaging data. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, cervical Cobb angle, VAS scores, and JOA scores were compared between the two groups. Spinal function scores and neurological improvement rates were used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the new PRUNUS spine plate. Results There were statistical differences in operation time and blood loss between the two groups (P<0.05). The difference in Cobb angle, JOA score and improvement rate, VAS score before and after surgery in two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05), but no significant differences between two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The new PRUNUS spine plate system can be applied to the anterior cervical spine surgery, and its clinical efficacy was similar to the traditional cervical anterior plate. But PRUNUS simplified the operation process, especially for the osteoporosis patients.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 444-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anastasia Tasiou ◽  
Theofanis Giannis ◽  
Alexandros G. Brotis ◽  
Ioannis Siasios ◽  
Iordanis Georgiadis ◽  
...  

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