title: Videoendoscopic biofeedback: a simple method to improve the efficacy of swallowing rehabilitation of patients after head and neck surgery.
abstract: The value of flexible videoendoscopy as a biofeedback tool in conservative swallowing rehabilitation of patients suffering from aspiration after head and neck surgery was examined. For this purpose, the outcomes of conventional swallowing therapy and of swallowing therapy with support of videoendoscopic biofeedback were compared. In the first 40 days of swallowing therapy, videoendoscopic biofeedback significantly increased the chance of therapeutic success, shortening the period of functional rehabilitation in comparison to conventional swallowing therapy. Limitations of this visual biofeedback procedure are poor cognitive skills of the patient, rejection of the procedure by the patient and local factors that make the positioning of the endoscope difficult.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Denk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaider
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology / Q000379:methods*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014743:Videotape Recording / Q000379:methods*