Correlation of antithrombotic medication use with lower incidence of postoperative dysphagia following anterior cervical spine surgery

Patients taking antithrombotic medications experience significantly lower rates of dysphagia after anterior cervical surgery. Antithrombotic drugs may enhance microcirculation within the esophagus postoperatively, protecting against the detrimental effects of prolonged esophageal retraction during anterior cervical surgery that have been found to contribute to postoperative dysphagia. This novel finding warrants further investigation.