A recent article published in Spine discusses the risk factors for postoperative retropharyngeal hematoma after anterior cervical spine surgery.
Researchers gathered data from a single institution including 2,375 anterior cervical spine procedures performed from 1995 to 2012 by a single surgeon. There were 17 occurrences of postoperative hematoma. The hematoma occurred within 24 hours of surgery in 65 percent of the patients and within six days for 35 percent of the patients.
The risk factors include:
• The presence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.
• The presence of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.
• Therapeutic herapin use.
• Longer operative times.
• Increased number of surgical levels.
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