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.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
90
Chewing gum four times per day for 5 days, 15 minutes each time.
Guangdong General Hospital
Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
RECRUITINGDysphagia Short Questionnaire (DSQ) score
DSQ is designed for the evaluation of swallowing difficulty after anterior cervical spine surgery. It is calculated by summing up the points given for each item, from 0 point to a maximum of 18 points, where lower scores represent milder symptoms and vice versa.
Time frame: Change from the 1st day after surgery to the 7th day after surgery.
Bazaz grading system
Bazaz grading system is designed for the evaluation of swallowing difficulty after anterior cervical spine surgery. The patients are graded as having none, mild, moderate, or severe dysphagia based on their symptoms. A none or mild dysphagia is considered to be a better outcome.
Time frame: Change from the 1st day after surgery to the 7th day after surgery.
Prevertebral soft tissue swelling
The measurement of the soft tissue space is made on the line parallel to the upper end plate from the midpoint of the anterior surface of each vertebral body to the border of the airway shadow. This scale ranges from 0 to approximately 30 mm for each vertebra, where a lower value represents a milder soft tissue swelling.
Time frame: The 3rd days after surgery.
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