Anesthesia Management For A Patient Having Transoral Approach For Anterior Cervical Osteophyte Resection

Anterior cervical osteophytes (ACOs) are a common condition in the elderly, leading to dysphagia, odynophagia, aspiration, neck pain, dysphonia, and dyspnea. Transoral surgical resection is an approach to managing cervical (C1 and C2) ACOs where the endoscopic endonasal approach is contraindicated. Advantages of the transoral approach include it providing direct access to the cervical spine, limits injury to surrounding neurovascular structures, and eliminates scarring. Anesthesia considerations for transoral surgical resection of ACOs will be covered in the following case report. A review of the literature examines the prevalence of and anesthesia considerations for the transoral approach to anterior cervical osteophyte resection.