The Impact of Nasogastric Feeding Tube on Physiologic Swallow in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Multidisciplinary Clinical Trial

Nasogastric feeding tubes (NGT) are ubiquitous within the head and neck (H&N) cancer patient population. NGT are often placed in post-surgical H&N cancer patients to allow for healing of suture lines in oral cavity and oropharyngeal free flap patients and are also used in transoral robotic surgery (TORS) patients. Despite their widespread use, the impact of NGT on the physiologic swallow of H&N cancer patients remains unknown. In the neurology literature, there is data demonstrating alterations in the functional swallow of elderly post-stroke patients with NGTs.
Source: International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: 215 Source Type: research