THANC Hospital

Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) test

What is it?

A procedure used to assess the swallow function. 

What does it involve?

A thin, flexible tube called a scope is put in through your nose to look at your throat as you swallow.

When is it performed?

  • It is required when there are symptoms of dysphagia, like a sense of food sticking in your mouth or pain with swallowing.
  • If a patient has a medical condition that puts them at high risk of dysphagia, even if they don’t have symptoms.

Common conditions that might cause dysphagia include:

  • Stroke
  • Head & Neck cancer (Oral Cavity, Larynx, Pharynx)
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Radiation treatment ot head & neck
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease
  • Dementia
  • Motor Neuron Disease
  • Brain tumours
  • Head Injury
  • Cleft Lip & Palate
  • Esophageal Cancer
  • Pharyngeal Pouch
  • Achalasia
  • Scleroderma

Benefits of the FEES Procedure

  • In-office procedure
  • Able to test sensation
  • Immediate results and treatment plan
  • If swallow dysfunction is identified, ability to immediately assess compensatory postures, manoeuvres and modifications and their effectiveness
  • Able to detect aspiration of secretions and trace aspiration
  • No exposure to radiation

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trans Nasal  Esophagoscopy (TNE

What is it?

TNE is an in-office test that your doctor can perform to look at the esophagus passageway and the stomach opening and diagnose a problem with your esophagus or stomach.

How is it done?

  • It involves swallowing a thin, flexible tube with a camera, that is inserted through the nose, into the esophagus and down to your stomach.
  • TNE is simple and does not hurt. The doctor applies numbing medication to the nose and throat, and most people tolerate it easily. 

When is it required?

When there are symptoms of: 
  • Difficulty swallowing or the sensation of food getting stuck (dysphagia)
  • A foreign body sensation or feeling a “lump” in the throat (globus sensation) 
  • Heartburn or regurgitation
  • Hoarse voice
  • Chronic throat clearing and  throat irritation
  • Chronic cough and excess throat mucus
  • Collecting a sample of tissue (biopsy) from the larynx (voice box), esophagus or stomach
  • To widen a tightened area in the esophagus by inflating a balloon attached to the tube, or to inject medication into parts of the esophagus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robotic Surgery – Trans Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS)

What is TORS?
  • Trans Oral Robotic Surgery is a minimally invasive robotic surgical procedure to remove mouth and throat cancers in which a surgeon uses a sophisticated, computer-enhanced system to guide the surgical tools.
  • When compared with more-traditional procedures, transoral robotic surgery tends to result in a quicker recovery and fewer complications for people with mouth and throat cancers
What conditions does TORS treat?

It is performed for a number of head and neck cancers, including:

  • Oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the back of the throat, base of the tongue or tonsil
  • Laryngeal (voice box) cancer
  • Hypopharyngeal cancer, which affects the lower part of the throat

TORS is also for non – cancerous conditions, including:

  • Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, a sleep disorder.
  • Lingual tonsillitis (inflammation of the tonsils at the base of the tongue).

 

What are the benefits of TORS procedures?

The benefits include:

  • Decreased risk of long-term speaking or swallowing issues.
  • Less pain during recovery.
  • Lower likelihood of visible scars.
  • Quicker return to daily activities.
  • Reduced blood loss.
  • Shorter hospital stays
  • Decreasing the likelihood of a long-term tracheostomy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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