Short-term Effect of Chewing Gum in Patients With Mild-moderate Dysphagia After Anterior Cervical Fusion

Short-term Effect of Chewing Gum in Patients With Mild-moderate Dysphagia After Anterior Cervical Fusion

The aim of the study is to estimate the effect of chewing gum after anterior cervical fusion surgery on decreasing the severity of dysphagia in patients with mild-moderate dysphagia.

Postoperative dysphagia is the most common complication of anterior cervical fusion surgery. Previous studies showed that chewing gum helped to improve swallow frequency and latency. However, its short-term effect on alleviating dysphagia symptom after anterior cervical surgery is still unknown. A randomized, parallel controlled, superiority trial is performed in patients with postoperative mild-moderate dysphagia. Dysphagia severity will be assessed using dysphagia short questionnaire (DSQ) score in the chewing gum group and control group during 7 days after surgery, and the changes in DSQ score between two groups will be compared, to estimate the effect of chewing gum on alleviating dysphagia symptom.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age from 18 years to 80 years.
• underwent anterior cervical fusion surgery for degenerative cervical disease.
• diagnosed with mild or moderate postoperative dysphagia 1 day after surgery using Bazaz scale.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients underwent revision procedures or procedures treating conditions other than degenerative cervical disease.
• Patients with preoperative dysphagia.
• Patients unable to chew, or unable to follow the directions for chewing gum.
• Patients unable to attend follow-up visits or finish the dysphagia questionnaires.