Dr. Kern Singh, an orthopedic spine surgeon and Co-Director of the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, was recognized by the Cervical Spine Research Society for his paper entitled “The Impact Of Local Steroid Application On Dysphagia Following An Anterior Cervical Discectomy And Fusion: Preliminary Results Of A Prospectively, Randomized, Single Blind Trial.” The paper was selected as the 2nd Place Clinical Research Award Paper by the Cervical Spine Research Society’s Awards Committee.
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures can be utilized in the treatment of degenerative conditions affecting the cervical spine. This procedure involves removal of affected intervertebral disc(s) and fusion of the adjacent vertebrae. A common complaint following ACDF is difficulty swallowing due to swelling, which usually resolves without further intervention. Previous studies have suggested that injecting steroid at the surgical site during the operation may decrease this swelling, and therefore prevent swallowing difficulties.
