OTO: Partial Epiglottoplasty for Pharyngeal Dysphagia due to Cervical Spine Pathology

This podcast highlights a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the October 2015 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, the official journal of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Foundation. Editor in chief John Krouse is joined by senior author Nausheen Jamal and associate editor Kenneth Altman in discussing partial epiglottoplasty for specific forms of pharyngeal dysphagia.   Patients commonly experience difficulty swallowing due to structural abnormalities that impinge on their normal pharyngeal anatomy.   In these patients various pathologies, such as severe cervical osteophytes or the presence of cervical spinal hardware, can interfere with their ability to swallow smoothly and successfully.  In this study, Dr. Jamal describes a simple transoral procedure that was demonstrated to significantly improve swallowing in this select group of 12 individuals with pharyngeal dysphagia.  In this podcast, she discusses this procedure as well as the outcomes of its use to treat dysphagia.    Drs. Jamal and Altman then discuss the implications of these interesting findings and the potential complications that could arise, as well as examining the need for additional research in expanding and further demonstrating the role for this innovative procedure. Click here to read the full article.