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Comparison of Patient-Reported Postoperative Dysphagia in Patients Undergoing One-Level Versus Two-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion with the Zero-P Implant System

Dysphagia volume 36, pages 743–753 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

To investigate whether dysphagia differs between one-level and two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with the Zero Profile (Zero-P) Implant System. A retrospective analysis of 208 patients who underwent ACDF with the Zero-P Implant System and had at least one year of follow-up was performed from January 2013 to December 2018. The patients were divided into two groups based on the number of operated levels (one-level group, N = 86; two-level group, N = 122). Dysphagia was assessed based on the Bazaz grading system. The incidence of dysphagia and the severity of dysphagia at each follow-up were compared between the two groups. The patients were divided into two groups (nondysphagia group, N = 160; dysphagia group, N = 48), and covariates were obtained for multivariate analysis, including demographic parameters, surgical parameters, and radiographic parameters. The results showed that the incidence and severity of postoperative dysphagia in the two-level group were significantly greater at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively than those in the one-level group. The results of ordinal logistic regression showed that older age, two-level surgery, greater prevertebral soft tissue swelling (PSTS) and the difference between the postoperative and preoperative C2–7 angle (dC2–7A) were significantly associated with a higher incidence of dysphagia after ACDF with the Zero-P. Two-level ACDF with the Zero-P can result in a significantly greater incidence and severity of transient postoperative dysphagia. Older age, greater PSTS and the dC2-7A were also associated with postoperative dysphagia after ACDF with the Zero-P.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge Ying Hong for contributing to the manuscript.

Funding

This study was supported by: Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program (Grant No. 2019YFQ0002 to Hao Liu), West China Hospital, Sichuan University (Grant No. HX-H1812210 to Hao Liu), 1·3·5 project for disciplines of excellence–Clinical Research Incubation Project, West China Hospital, Sichuan University (Grant No. 2019HXFH040 to Beiyu Wang), Key Research and Development Programs of Department of Science and Technology of Sichuan Province (Grant No. 2020YFS0075 to Chen Ding).

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  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, West China Hospital, No. 37 Guo Xue Xiang Rd., Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan, China

    Chengyi Huang, Haimiti Abudouaini, Beiyu Wang, Chen Ding, Yang Meng, Yi Yang, Tingkui Wu & Hao Liu

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  1. Chengyi Huang
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Huang, C., Abudouaini, H., Wang, B. et al. Comparison of Patient-Reported Postoperative Dysphagia in Patients Undergoing One-Level Versus Two-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion with the Zero-P Implant System. Dysphagia 36, 743–753 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-020-10197-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00455-020-10197-w

Keywords

  • ACDF
  • Zero-P
  • Cervical degenerative disc disease
  • Dysphagia