Esophageal Perforation due to Anterior Cervical Spine Hardware Placement: Case Series

Table 1

Summary of patient data. Patient #5 had fixation at multiple levels. ACS = anterior cervical spine. MVC = motor vehicle collision. Time to presentation refers to interval since most recent ACS surgery. PR = primary defect repair. I&D = incision and drainage of abscess. HR = hardware removal. SCM = sternocleidomastoid rotational flap. rSCM = revision SCM flap; PMMF = pectoralis major myofascial flap. Time to oral intake refers to interval from most recent reconstructive surgery intervention to resumption of oral intake.

Patient	Age	Gender	Levels of Fixation	Reason for ACS surgery	Time to Presentation	Intervention	Time to Oral Intake
1	34	F	C4-7	MVC, compression fracture, chronic epidural abscess	52 days	1. PR + HR + SCM; 2. PR + PMMF	17 days
2	58	F	C5-6	cervical spondylosis	67 days	1. I&D + PR + SCM; 2.I&D + PR + HR +rSCM	7 days
3	80	M	C4-5	Cervical degeneration, odontoid fracture	3.35 years	1. PR + HR + SCM	Did not attain
4	26	F	C5-6, T1-3	MVC	1.29 years	1. I&D + HR; 2. I&D; 3. I&D + PR + HR + SCM; 4. I&D + PR + PMMF	62 days
5	56	M	C2-3, C4-5, C6-7	cervical spine degeneration	12 days	1. I&D + PR + SCM	10 days
6	70	M	C5-6	cervical spine degeneration	8.70 years	1. PR + HR + SCM	8 days