FEES and Videostroboscopy
(Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing)
We have the diagnostic tools to provide a more thorough assessment of your swallow and voice. We use FEES (which stands for Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing) and Videostroboscopy. These exams allow us to bring invaluable diagnostic measures and require no anesthesia while being a fairly quick procedure. The scope that we use has a small wire with a camera on the end. We pass this wire through your nose to the back of the throat where we can visualize the areas within and surrounding the voice box. These areas are not only important for our ability to breathe and voice, but also for our swallow function. We first assess your voice by examing your vocal folds with use of a special strobe light source. This allows us to visualize the movements and details of your vocal folds more accurately as standard light loses clarity and cannot capture vibrations at this velocity. We then have you eat and drink a variety of food/drink samples to understand how your swallow is functioning when trying to bring these things down to your food pipe.
We provide these services at our outpatient facilities. For patients that have significant difficulty leaving their home, we also offer a mobile solution where we bring this portable instrumentation to you. The exam is then performed within the comfort of your own home. Call our office for details to see if you qualify for a mobile FEES/Videostroboscopy exam.
