[Esophageal perforation after an anterior cervical fixation; report of a case].
We report 1 case of esophageal complications after anterior plate fixation of the cervical spine. A 62-year-old man underwent anterior cervical fusion in August 1996, and he did well after the operation. In January 1998, he was hospitalized for cardiac failure and was incubated twice for 10 days to cure. In March 1998, he suffered from dysphagia and continuous fever. Gastric fiberscopy showed the internal defect of esophagus and the plate to fix the cervical spine. He underwent immediate neck exploration via the cervical fusion incision, however he died of sepsis and respiratory failure. An esophageal perforation after an anterior cervical operation is an uncommon but well-recognized complication of the approach.
D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D004939:Esophageal Perforation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D013123:Spinal Fusion