TriStar HMC offers new tool for patients with difficulty swallowing

By Sherry Mitchell | on August 11, 2023

TriStar Hendersonville Medical Center announced it is now offering Fiberoptic Evaluation of Swallowing, also known as a FEEs study.

The new FEEs study will help patients who have problems with food and liquid passing through the throat. A FEEs uses a flexible tube called an endoscope that has a tiny camera and light attached to it. The endoscope allows the speech language pathologist to see parts of the larynx, pharynx and trachea on a video screen.

“The FEEs study helps diagnose swallowing issues quickly,” said Kelli Rich, a speech language pathologist at TriStar HMC. “This new technology is an easier, more convenient procedure that can be done at the bedside by a speech language pathologist.”

The new technology can help diagnose dysphagia which can be an issue with the muscular coordination needed for normal swallowing. Dysphagia can lead to food or fluid going into the airway or lungs, also known as aspiration. This can also lead to pneumonia and other problems.