Videoflouroscopy!
Patients with swallowing disorders are often referred to a radiologist for a videoflouroscopic study of their swallowing abilities.
Videoflouroscopy is an x-ray study of a swallow recorded on videotape. By allowing the professional to actually see "material" being swallowed, it provides information that cannot be obtained from clinical (bedside) examination of the patient. It shows where the swallowing difficulty is occurring, how changes in positioning and consistency of food affect swallowing and if the patient is aspirating.
Specific swallowing guidelines and treatment techniques can be devised based upon the information obtained from a videoflouroscopic study.
