XXXX Secondary to Anterior Cervical Fusion: Radiologic Evaluation and Findings in 74 @entity1 .

@entity1 @entity11375 @entity1282
OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to assess the frequency, cause, and time course of @entity1282 after @entity11375 ( @entity11375 ). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A review of the surgical database revealed that 1789 @entity1 underwent @entity11375 procedures during the 8-year study period. A radiologic database review indicated that 80 of the 1789 @entity1 underwent radiologic evaluation for the assessment of @entity1282 after @entity11375 . Three @entity1 were excluded from the study because they had a history of @entity1282 before @entity11375 , and three additional @entity1 were excluded because they had more recently undergone Nissen fundoplication, intubation, and radiation therapy, respectively. @entity1282 ( @entity1282 ) studies and esophagrams of the 74 remaining @entity1 were collected and analyzed to determine the cause of @entity1282 and time course of @entity1282 onset after surgery. RESULTS: @entity1282 was evaluated radiologically in 74 of the 1789 @entity11375 @entity1 (4.1%) using video @entity1282 studies (n = 66) and esophagography (n = 26). @entity1 underwent radiologic evaluation from 1 to 1150 days after surgery (mean, 120 days after surgery); 76% of the @entity1 presented more than 2 weeks after surgery. The location of the @entity11375 in the study group was the upper, mid, and lower cervical spine in 5.4% (n = 4), 55.4% (n = 41), and 39.2% (n = 29) of @entity1 , respectively. Soft-tissue swelling with displacement of the pharynx or esophagus was identified in 91% of @entity1 (n = 67). More serious complications of @entity11375 that resulted in @entity1282 included surgical hardware displacement or bone graft displacement (n = 18), esophageal perforation (n = 3), and a retropharyngeal abscess (n = 3). Pharyngeal functional abnormalities were detected in 50 @entity1 , with penetration, aspiration, or both seen in 32. CONCLUSION: @entity1282 is an underrecognized but significant complication of @entity11375 . After @entity11375 , 4.1% of @entity1 presented for radiologic evaluation of @entity1282 . Although @entity11375 procedures are most frequently performed in the lower cervical spine, @entity1282 is a more common clinical problem after @entity11375 in the mid cervical spine. Radiologic examinations should be specifically tailored to evaluate @entity11375 @entity1 .
