Abstract
We evaluated the effectiveness of surgeries including a cricopharyngeal myotomy in 12 patients who suffered from dysphagia, and re-evaluated the indications for undergoing such surgery based on the findings of ineffective cases. Three of the 12 cases showed ineffective results, and videofluorography of these cases showed the poor coordination in the elevation of the larynx, the contraction of the pharynx, and the opening of the pharyngoesophageal junction, and such symptoms are typical of aphagia. We therefore should strictly consider the indications of this surgery based on a precise evaluation of the swallowing initiation by means of preoperative videofluorography.
