Delayed Upper Aerodigestive Tract Perforation from Anterior Cervical Spine Hardware: Treatment and Swallowing Outcomes

Abstract

Delayed upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) perforation is a rare complication of anterior cervical spinal hardware. The purpose of this study was to investigate swallowing outcomes between treatment approaches for delayed UADT perforation. A retrospective chart review was performed on patients with anterior cervical hardware and delayed UADT perforation who were treated at a single tertiary care center between 2000 and 2020. Of the twelve patients identified, most patients presented with dysphagia (n\u2009=\u20099, 75%) and/or neck pain (n\u2009=\u20097, 58%). Perforations generally occurred at the level of C6 (n\u2009=\u20096, 50%) and C7 (n\u2009=\u20094, 33%) and spanned only one spinal level (n\u2009=\u20098, 67%). The majority (n\u2009=\u20098, 67%) of patients were past or current cigarette users. Operative approaches included primary repair (n\u2009=\u20095, 42%) and rotational flap (n\u2009=\u20094, 33%); the rotational flap harvest sites included supraclavicular fasciocutaneous (n\u2009=\u20092), infrahyoid muscle (n\u2009=\u20091), and sternocleidomastoid muscle (n\u2009=\u20091). While most patients demonstrated penetration and/or aspiration on first post-operative swallow study (n\u2009=\u20096), this resolved completely within a median time of 31 days. There were no differences in swallowing outcomes between repair approaches. Patient smoking history appears to be a clear risk factor for the development of delayed UADT perforation from anterior cervical spine hardware. A variety of techniques can be used to repair these perforations, and there were no differences in swallowing outcomes between repair approaches.