Airway Obstruction Caused by Soft Tissue Edema during an Anterior Cervical Approach: A Case Report / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Anterior approaches to the cervical spine for performing decompression, fusion and/or instrumentation are common and useful methods for treating many conditions, including degenerative diseases. One of the rare, but serious complications of an anterior cervical approach is respiratory insufficiency as a result of upper airway obstruction, which is due to airway narrowing and prevertebral soft tissue swelling. We experienced a case of serious airway obstruction that was caused by soft tissue edema combined with postoperative hematoma after an anterior cervical spine approach. We report here on this case and include a review of the relevant literature.