Tracheal Traction Exercise Reduces the Occurrence of Postoperative Dysphagia After Anterior Cervical Spine Surgery

Study Design. We designed a novel anterior cervical spine surgery preoperative treatment comprising mechanical trachea/esophagus traction and compared the postoperative outcome regarding dysphagia with nontreated patients. Objective. We investigated whether the newly developed preoperative tracheal/esophageal traction exercise (TTE) treatment has an effect on postoperative dysphagia after anterior cervical spine surgery. Summary of Background Data. Dysphagia is a postoperative complication that occurs after anterior cervical spine surgery, and known treatments are perioperative application of methylprednisolone, monitoring of endotracheal tube cuff pressure, and the use of low-profile plates. Methods. We compared the neck disability index, visual analogue scale scores for arm and neck pain, and Bazaz dysphagia scores, a dysphagia index, of 2 randomized groups, 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after cervical spine surgery. One group received TTE treatment for 3 consecutive days before surgery, whereas the control group did not. Results. In the first week after operation, the Bazaz dysphagia scores for patients with second-to fourth-level fusions in the TTE group were significantly better than that in the control group (P = 0.000 for second-and third-level fusions and P = 0.013 for fourth-level fusion). Also at 3 weeks after surgery, the second-to fourth-level fusion patients in the TTE group had better Bazaz scores than those in the control group (P = 0.000 for second-and third-level fusions and P = 0.004 for fourth-level fusion). There was no significant difference of neck disability index and visual analogue scale scores between the 2 groups. Conclusion. Dysphagia could be reduced in patients with multiple-level fusion after anterior cervical spine surgery by preoperative TTE treatment.