Recovery from postsurgical swallowing dysfunction in patients with oral cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was focused on a comparison of postsurgical oropharyngeal swallowing efficiency and medical status indicators.


METHODS
The swallowing function was assessed in 25 patients (18 males and 7 females) with oral cancer. The swallowing function was assessed preoperatively and 1, 6, and 12 months and in some cases more than 24 months after surgery. Assessment of the swallowing function consisted of videofluoroscopic evaluation (oropharyngeal swallow efficiency; OPSE) and details of the method of nutrition, diet level, nutritional condition, and occurrence of pneumonia.


RESULTS
Postsurgically, OPSE did not recover to the preoperative level more than 12 months after surgery. Twenty-one patients (84%) had full oral intake and only 3 patients (12%) showed poorer nutritional conditions compared with the presurgery state. Aspiration pneumonia did not occur more than 12 months after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
The patients in the present study showed stable medical status and functional swallowing at the final evaluation despite insufficient recovery of OPSE revealed by videofluoroscopic evaluation.
Tei
Kanchu
K
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. teik@den.hokudai.ac.jp
Maekawa
Kuniaki
K
Kitada
Hideaki
H
Ohiro
Yoichi
Y
Yamazaki
Yutaka
Y
Totsuka
Yasunori
Y
D015992:Body Mass Index; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D002933:Cineradiography; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology*; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004032:Diet; D005248:Feeding Methods; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009060:Mouth Floor / Q000601:surgery; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009960:Oropharynx / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011015:Pneumonia, Aspiration / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery