The outcome of dysphagia rehabilitation in post-surgical patietns with head and neck cancer: Investigation before widespread use of PEG
We investigated the outcomes of patients with head and neck cancers who were confirmed to have eating and swallowing disorders by VF and who underwent dysphagia rehabilitation, focusing on changes in the nutrient ingestion method. The diseasese course was investigated retrospectively in 82 inpatients who, after surgery for head and neck cancers, visited the rehabilitation department of our hospital for treatment of eating and swallowing disorders and who underwent swallowing evaluation by VF between August 1990 and December 1999. The mean duration of the dysphagia rehabilitation was 59.7±36.5 days (7- 300 days). Overall, the nutrient ingestion method of 22 patients (71%) was oral ingestion alone at the time of discharge, and the mean duration of training in the aspiration-on-VF group was 65.5±35.4 days. In the group without aspiration on VF, the nutrient ingestion method before training was oral ingestion or CNG. After training, all patients were capable of oral ingestion, with the exception of one patient whose ingestion method remained oral ingestion ＋ IOE because of small oral intake. The mean duration of training in this group was 30.2±16.4 days. Most patients became able to ingest by oral ingestion, IOE, or a combination of these methods. (Accepted on August 19, 2009)
