Effect of Furosemide on Prevertebral Soft Tissue Swelling after Anterior Cervical Fusion: A Comparative Study with Dexamethasone

Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Purpose This study aimed to investigate the effect of furosemide on prevertebral soft tissue swelling (PSTS) after anterior cervical fusion (ACF) and compare it with the effect of dexamethasone. Overview of Literature Postoperative PSTS is a common complication of ACF. Dexamethasone has been used for its treatment; however, its efficacy remains controversial. Furosemide may reduce PSTS if it is soft tissue edema; however, no studies have demonstrated the effect of furosemide on PSTS after ACF. Methods The symptomatic PSTS group received intravenous (IV) administration of dexamethasone or furosemide. The asymptomatic PSTS group did not receive any medication. Patients were divided into the control (no medication, n=31), Dexa (IV dexamethasone, n=25), and Furo (IV furosemide, n=28) groups. PSTS was checked daily with simple radiographs and medication-induced reductions in PSTS from its peak or after medication. Results The peak time (postoperative days) of PSTS in the control (2.27±0.47, p