Early dysphagia following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a centre experience

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is a commonly performed surgical procedure in patients with cervical spine radiculopathy and/or myelopathy. It's considered safe, but one of its most common complications is postoperative dysphagia, which can negatively impact the patient's quality of life, and increase health costs. In this study, we discuss our experience with post-ACDF dysphagia (PAD) in terms of incidence, risk factors and approach to management.

In total, 196 eligible patients were included with a mean age of 50.38 years (SD = 11.18); 107 patients (54.6%) were males, and 89 (45.4%) were females. The incidence of PAD was 5.6% (11/196 patients). No significant association could be found between the development of PAD and the assessed patient-related factors (age, gender, body mass index, and comorbidities) nor surgical factors (number of operated levels, use of anterior plate, operative time).