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When Ray Choate underwent throat surgery for treatment of cancer, he was unable to swallow anything, even water. Doctors removed a tumor in his mouth, and part of his tongue also was removed. During his treatment, his esophagus partially closed. "It was very difficult for a while. I've been through several broken bones," Choate said. "I've never been sick a day in my life, I'm very energetic."
His condition has made him very self-conscious about his speech and he won't eat in public, he said. Today, he carries bottled water everywhere he goes and is able to eat pureed and soft food, thanks to a relatively new procedure at SouthCrest Medical Center, 8801 S. 101st East Ave.
Developed by a speech therapist, a process of electrical stimulation is used on the throat to restore the swallowing function, said Brandi Brown, speech language pathologist at SouthCrest.
The procedure, which is less than a year old at the hospital, is able to help people of all ages, including infants. Those procedure can be used for treatment of cancer patients, stroke victims, people with brain injuries and those affected by Bell's Palsy. "The highest recovery rate is with strokes because the onset of their dysfunction is so new," Brown said.
The majority of patients have had radiation to their throat as a result of cancer of the esophagus, she said. Treatment, combined with nonuse, often weakens esophagus muscles. When a patient is unable to swallow effectively, they become at risk for foods and liquids going down the airway instead of the esophagus. This can lead to death, pneumonia and choking, Brown said. "Most patients have gone a year without swallowing," she said. "When you're finally better, the throat muscles have become weak and unable to perform."
Those who cannot swallow on their own are provided nutrition and liquids through a tube inserted into the stomach. The electrical stimulation involves four electrodes, which are placed on the throat.
"It causes muscles to contract when a patient swallows on their own," Brown said. The electrodes move electricity directly to the affected muscle, controlling the contraction needed to trigger a swallow. "Over time, it causes reorganization of the muscle groups and return to prior function. It gives patient back their independence," Brown said. "My goal is not to get them stable but to return them to where they were before."
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