Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- * Patients ≥ 18 years of age
- * Patients undergoing a multi-level (2-, 3-, or 4-level) ACDF procedure
- * Single-approach (anterior only) ACDF - English or Spanish-speaking patients
- * Undergoing treatment at Keck Medical Center of USC
Exclusion Criteria:
- * Patients ≤ 18 years of age
- * Patients undergoing any revision ACDF procedure
- * Patients undergoing ACDF with combined approaches (i.e. anterior + posterior)
- * Patients with spinal pathologies or deformities that are non-degenerative or idiopathic (i.e. trauma, infection, malignancy, or tumor)
- * Patients with a prior diagnosis related to swallowing issues (i.e. esophagitis, Barrett's esophagus, Sjogren syndrome, multiple sclerosis (MS), or laryngitis)
- * Patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score ≥ 4
Ages Eligible for Study:
18 Years to 80 Years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)
Sexes Eligible for Study: ALL
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Yes