Swallowing Therapy
Instrumental Examinations for swallowing
For a comprehensive treatment of swallowing disorders, instrumental examinations may sometimes be required for the patient. There are two kinds of instrumental examinations your speech therapist may recommend to you.
Videofluoroscopy (VFS)
Videofluoroscopy is an x-ray of swallowing recorded onto a videotape in ‘real time’.
It enables a detailed objective examination of swallowing on a range of foods and fluid consistencies. Videofluoroscopy is performed to determine safety for oral feeding and also determine the effects of various strategies on swallowing function. This test is used to develop a suitable management plan for the patient and also as a baseline to measure progress with treatments such as sEMG, Vitalstim therapy. Hence patients may need to go through this procedure before and after therapy. Videofluoroscopy is also a useful tool for educating patients, families and caregivers.
Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)
Fiberoptic Endocsopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) is another objective tool for examining the swallowing mechanism. It involves passing a thin tube called the endoscope through the nose into the pharynx to observe the act of swallowing as well as the integrity of the structures involved in swallowing. During the procedure the Therapist will ask the patient to swallow different consistencies of food colored with blue or green food coloring to observe swallowing safety. The procedure also allows the therapist to examine the effectiveness of some strategies for safe swallowing.
