Difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia) is not too uncommon for up to 6 months after some ACDF surgeries. The fact that after 5 months, there is little improvement means that a swallowing study should be considered. This is where under fluoroscopy, your mother swallows barium sulfate, a “creamy consistency” which will help to show what the problem could be. Another “trick” is to put your mother on a short course of oral steroid (if she can tolerate them) as sometimes, reducing inflammation can be helpful with swallowing.
Shortness of breath is another story. Sometimes, this can be a “feeling” that is really just the feeling of difficulty swallowing but there are real potential problems also like a pulmonary embolism (a leg blood clot that drifts into the lungs) or cardiac (heart) problems. Both would need an imaging workup.
Dr. Corenman
PLEASE REMEMBER, THIS FORUM IS MEANT TO PROVIDE GENERAL INFORMATION ON SPINE ANATOMY, CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS. TO GET AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS, YOU MUST VISIT A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL IN PERSON.
Donald Corenman, MD, DC is a highly-regarded spine surgeon, considered an expert in the area of neck and back pain. Trained as both a Medical Doctor and Doctor of Chiropractic, Dr. Corenman earned academic appointments as Clinical Assistant Professor and Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his research on spine surgery and rehabilitation has resulted in the publication of multiple peer-reviewed articles and two books.
