Why FEES?

Concern / Complaint

  • Difficulty swallowing food, liquids, meds

  • Food feels "stuck" in throat

  • Frequent throat clearing or coughing during meals

  • Fatigue with meals

  • Weight loss, dehydration, malnutrition

  • Uncoordinated breathing and swallow timing

  • Excessive or unmanaged secretions

Assist With Treatment Planning

  • Diet texture recommendations

  • Timely diagnostic results and recommendations

  • Determine safety for texture upgrade

  • Assess and determine effective compensatory strategies

  • Verify/determine effective NMES electrode placement

  • Video can be used for patient biofeedback and caregiver education

  • Determine physiological cause for dysphagia, leading to customized and specific treatment interventions

Types of Patients

  • Patients with recurrent respiratory illness

  • Patients with head and neck cancer (pre & post radiation)

  • Those with G-Tubes and persistent coughing

  • Progressive Neurological diagnosis

  • Trach or vent dependent

  • Difficulty with head or trunk control

  • Anatomical deviations to larynx, pharynx

  • Dysphagia resulting from a stroke or TBI

Benefit Over MBS

  • Patient can have repeated FEES

  • Bedside capabilities for ICU patients

  • Patient's size or posture/positioning is not a barrier

  • More cost-effective

  • No radiation exposure

  • No exam duration restrictions

  • Onsite eval is convenient to patient

  • No need to transport patient out of facility/off the unit

  • Isolation precautions are not a barrier