Abstract:<p>Anterior approaches to the cervical spine can be performed for spine decompression and instrumentation in many pathologic conditions. Cervical spine surgeries complicate in 5.3% of cases, with anterior procedures representing 65% of them. Airway compromise requiring tracheostomy or reintubation is rare but may lead to potentially catastrophic complications. There are several causes for airway compromise, including post-operative cervical swelling or hematoma, pharyngeal edema, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF… Show more
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.