We report a very rare case of an esophageal diverticulum following anterior cervical fusion. A 58-year-old woman underwent 2-level anterior cervical fusion with allograft and anterior plating. Postoperatively, she complained of dysphagia such as discomfort during swallowing and was diagnosed with an esophageal diverticulum based on barium swallow study. It was decided to excise the diverticulum via an external approach. In a discussion with the patient, the plate was also removed by orthopedists. The patient made a good recovery and she has remained symptom-free to date.
An esophageal diverticulum following anterior cervical fusion is a very rare complication. We found only 7 cases of esophageal diverticulum following anterior cervical fusion in the English literature.
