Dysphagia/Difficulty Swallowing refers to any impairment in the passage of food or liquid from the mouth to the stomach.If it is not properly diagnosed and managed, dysphagia can lead to serious complications, including aspiration pneumonia, malnutrition, dehydration, and airway obstruction, significantly impacting patient safety and quality of life.

Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) is a simple, safe, and effective method for the diagnosis and monitoring of swallowing disorders. By providing direct visualization of pharyngeal and laryngeal function during swallowing, FEES enables clinicians to make more informed clinical decisions.

Key advantages of FEES include:

1. Bedside assessment, without the need to transfer vulnerable patients.
2. No radiation exposure, allowing repeated evaluations and long-term follow-up.
3. Enhanced assessment of laryngeal sensitivity, critical for aspiration risk detection

For those interested in learning more, A YouTube video from Doctor ODonovan explaining FEES：

Reference

1. ESSD：The European Society for Swallowing Disorders
2. ASHA：The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association