Association between Anterior Surgical Approach and Dysphagia Severity in Patients with Cervical Spinal Cord Injury

This study looks at risk factors for swallowing problems (dysphagia) in people with cervical spinal cord injuries (C-SCI). It specifically investigates if the type of surgery, either from the front (anterior) or back (posterior) of the neck, is linked to how severe the swallowing problems are. The study found that patients who had surgery from the front of their neck were more likely to have more severe swallowing problems. This suggests that doctors need to be extra careful about swallowing issues in patients who have this type of surgery. The researchers recommend that clinicians should pay particular attention to the potential for development of dysphagia when patients receive anterior cervical surgery.

• 1
  The anterior surgical approach was significantly correlated with the severity of dysphagia in patients with C-SCI, as measured by both mVDS and PAS scales.
• 2
  Patients undergoing the anterior surgical approach had significantly more severe dysphagia compared to those undergoing the posterior approach.
• 3
  Other factors previously linked to dysphagia presence, such as tracheostomy, pulmonary function, and age, did not show significant correlations with dysphagia severity in this study.