Post-operative dysphagia following ventral cervical approach: complication or side-effect? Retrospective analysis and review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: To ameliorate the clinical decision-making process when debating between a ventral or dorsal cervical approach by elucidating whether post-operative dysphagia be regarded as a complication or a transient side effect. METHODS: A literature review of studies comparing complication rates following ventral and dorsal cervical approaches was performed. A stratified complication rate excluding dysphagia was calculated and discussed. A retrospective cohort of patients operated for degenerative cervical myelopathy in a single institution comprising 665 patients was utilized to analyze complication rates using a uniform definition for dysphagia. RESULTS: Both the ventral and the dorsal approach groups exhibited comparable neurological improvement rates. Since transient dysphagia was not considered a complication, the dorsal approach was associated with higher level of overall complications. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Inconsistencies in the definition of dysphagia following ventral cervical surgery impedes the interpretation of trials comparing dorsal and ventral complication rates. A uniform definition for complications and side effects may enhance the validity of medical trials.