title: Recovery from postsurgical swallowing dysfunction in patients with oral cancer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. teik@den.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kanchu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tei
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitada
authors.forename: Yoichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohiro
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Totsuka
mesh_terms: 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