Studies for standardizing the manner of assessment and rehabilitation for dysphagia in postoperative oral cancer patients

Abstract

Assessment for dysphagia in postoperative oral cancer patients is performed based only on the criterion of each hospital. That is why there is no standardized grade for dysphagia or a standard rehabilitation that is based on that grade. We discussed retrospectively the assessment, diagnosis and rehabilitation of 40 cases with severe dysphagia among 176 of our patients with oral cancer to standardize them for oral cancer patients.
The conclusion was as follows:
1. The diagnosis of dysphagia: For oral cancer patients, it was necessary to provide a new grade classification without using ready-made grade or scale.
2. The assessment: Videofluorography (VF) was essential in cases that required indirect therapy first.
3. The rehabilitation: We judged that it was possible to standardize a rehabilitation that is based on choosing a grade classification.