FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME AFTER SURGERY FOR PREVENTION OF PHARYNGOSPASMS IN TRACHEOESOPHAGEAL SPEAKERS .2. SWALLOW CHARACTERISTICS

The swallowing function of 29 patients with primary tracheoesophageal puncture who received either a pharyngeal constrictor myotomy, a unila teral pharyngeal plexus neurectomy, or a unilateral pharyngeal plexus neurectomy with a small drainage myotomy limited to the cricopharyngeu s was studied. Swallowing function data were collected on each patient at 3 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery using videofluorosc opy. Differences in swallowing function among the treatment groups wer e primarily the amounts and loci of oral and pharyngeal residues. The differing patterns of bolus residue may reflect the different mechanis ms that were affected by the various procedures. Despite significant c hanges in some swallow measures, the patients did not complain of dysp hagia. Oropharyngoesophageal swallow efficiency-a clinical measure tha t weighs the amount of bolus swallowed by total transit time-fell with in normal limits for each patient group at each evaluation. This measu re may be a better index of the patients' perceived normal swallow tha n the component variables of residue and transit times would suggest.