Risk factors for dysphagia after single-level anterior cervical fusion / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Dysphagia is one of common early complications after anterior cervical fusion. Medium and severe dysphagia often causes serious influence on the patients. A variety of factors have been shown to have a correlation with the postoperative dysphagia, but specific mechanism is stil unclear. OBJECTIVE:To explore the risk factors for dysphagia after single-level anterior cervical fusion. METHODS:From January 2011 to June 2013, data of 44 patients with dysphagia and 213 patients without dysphagia after single-level anterior cervical fusion were compared. The baseline data (age, gender, ethnicity, body mass index, smoking history, drinking history, hypertension, diabetes, course length, and type of cervical spondylosis) and perioperative data (intraoperative blood loss, internal fixation, the location of the operated level, operation time, and the side of operation approach) between two groups were compared by Logistic regression analysis to determine risk factors for postoperative dysphagia.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:A total of 257 patients were included with a fol ow-up for 6 to 24 months postoperatively and 44 of them suffered from dysphagia after single-level anterior cervical fusion. The overal prevalence for postoperative dysphagia was 17.1%. Univariate analysis indicated that age, gender, the location of the operated level, and course length were associated with postoperative dysphagia. Logistic regression analysis of multivariate analysis demonstrated that independent predictors for postoperative dysphagia included gender (female), age (>60 years), the location of the operated level (C 4-5 , C 5-6 ), and course length (>12 months). Clinicians should give appropriate recognition and take corresponding measures to avoid it.