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

Abstract

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, <i>p</i><0.05) and Dexa (1.91±0.54, <i>p</i><0.01) groups were significantly later than that in the Furo group (1.38±0.74). PSTS was significantly lower in the Furo group than in the Dexa group from postoperative days 4 to 7 (<i>p</i><0.05). PSTS reduction after the peak was significantly greater in the Furo group than in the control (<i>p</i><0.01) and Dexa (<i>p</i><0.01) groups. After starting the medication therapy, the Furo group showed a significantly greater reduction in PSTS than the Dexa group (<i>p</i><0.01). No difference was found in symptom improvement among the three groups.Conclusions: If furosemide is used to reduce PSTS after ACF, it can effectively reduce symptoms.