See the FEES advantage with SDX, now covering all of New England.
"SEE" the FEES Advantage! Choosing FEES for your residents.
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Our mission: To improve quality of life and accuracy of treatment for patients with dysphagia.
"SDX focuses on function, balancing quality of life and risk management.
Each resident's swallowing concerns, safety and goals are our priority."
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Swallow testing in 48 hours, right at your resident's bedside!
Information obtained from the FEES examination includes:
- Ability to protect and sustain protection of the airway
- Ability to initiate a prompt swallow
- Timing and direction of movement of the bolus
- Ability to clear the bolus during the swallow
- Presence of pooling and residue of material
- Sensitivity of the pharyngeal/laryngeal structures
- The effect of anatomy on the swallow
Appropriate postural changes and swallowing maneuvers are attempted to detect problems and enable the examiner to make recommendations regarding optimal interventions to improve the safety and efficiency of the swallow, the advisability of oral feeding, and use of appropriate behavioral strategies that facilitate safe and efficient swallowing. The most critical finding is aspiration, and the literature demonstrates that FEES is able to detect this finding with excellent sensitivity.
The Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) is a procedure used by speech-language pathologists to evaluate swallowing abilities. The primary objective of the FEES is to provide a robust, functional assessment.
This portable study uses a flexible fiberoptic scope which is passed up through one side of the nose and into the throat. The scope rests around the back of tongue and does not pass into the airway. Residents are seated in their typical mealtime position, even if that's in bed, and consume a variety of food and drinks while the swallow is viewed and recorded via laptop. COLOR PICTURES are added to each report and an .MP4 video is provided.
The clinician can clearly view secretions and the laryngeal and pharyngeal structures in color (in contrast to the MBSS which provides a black & white x-ray). Each resident is guided through exercises to evaluate sensation, movement and integrity of airway protection. The resident is encouraged to eat and drink independently when possible so that results are functional, imitating real-life.