Upper airway obstruction associated with flexed cervical position after posterior occipitocervical fusion

Abstract

Upper airway obstruction resulting from overflexion fixation of the cervical spine is a rare but life-threatening complication after cervical spine surgery. There are few reports of dyspnea after a posterior cervical fusion. We present the case of a 63-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis who developed an upper airway obstruction immediately after an O-C4 fusion. She was reintubated with a fiberoptic scope. Revision surgery allowing the angle to return to the neutral position was performed to ameliorate the overflexion of the cervical spine fixation and the consequent upper airway obstruction. After revision surgery, the upper airway obstruction disappeared. Our experience suggests that intraoperative use of fluoroscopy and extubation with a tube exchanger are recommended to avoid this complication, especially in patients at high risk of upper airway obstruction.