TTE and Dysphagia in Anterior Cervical Surgery

University of Rochester

Status: Completed

Conditions: Dysphagia

Treatments: Other: Trachael Preparation Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02326116

54543

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to evaluate if Tracheal Traction Exercises (TTE) performed prior to anterior cervical spine surgery can result in a decreased rate of dysphagia.

Enrollment: 150 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 85 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Elective Anterior cervical spine surgery (C2-C7) for degenerative disc disease or myelopathy

Exclusion criteria

• More than four levels of fusion
• Trauma or urgent cases of anterior cervical spine surgery
• Prior anterior cervical spine surgery (a known risk factor for dysphagia),
• Prior neck surgery (eg. Thyroidectomy)
• Tumors
• Infections
• Neurological disorders that can predispose to dysphagia such as Parkinson's, Cerebrovascular Accidents (CVA), Alzheimer's and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

150 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Group 1

Experimental group

Description:

Trachael Traction Exercises

Treatment:

Other: Trachael Preparation Education

Group 2

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Trachael Massage

Treatment:

Other: Trachael Preparation Education