Unraveling the Pediatric Swallow - With a Focus on Surgically Treatable Causes of Dysphagia

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: Unraveling the Pediatric Swallow: A Focus on Surgically Treatable Causes of Aspiration

This multidisciplinary panel is designed to equip attendees with critical knowledge for evaluating patients with dysphagia, and to review the indications and techniques of surgical management. The panel will address the development of the normal infant swallow and explore pediatric dysphagia from the perspectives of pediatric otolaryngologists and a speech and language pathologist—experts in treating dysphagia at a tertiary care, free-standing children's hospital. Case reports and videos will illustrate different types of pediatric dysphagia, diagnostic tests, and management strategies, with a particular focus on surgical options.

Pediatric dysphagia may occur independently but often presents with comorbidities. It is classified as oral, pharyngeal (including aspiration and penetration), oropharyngeal (combined oral and pharyngeal) and esophageal. The etiologies of pediatric dysphagia include sensory, motor, anatomic, psychosocial, developmental, and often unidentified causes.

Our panel's team will:
• Review normal swallow physiology and developmental milestones of oral intake
• Discuss surgically treatable causes of dysphagia, such as:
o Laryngomalacia
o Immobile vocal cords
o Post-cricoid vascular cushion
o Laryngeal clefts

Our speech and language pathologist will:
• Highlight subtle and overt cues of feeding disorders
• Examine the utility of instrumental tools for feeding assessment
• Discuss compensatory feeding strategies to maintain oral intake in developing patients
• Review standardized measures of diet, including the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI)
• Discuss standardized measures of oral intake, such as the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS)

With thoughtful consideration, many pediatric patients with dysphagia can continue some form of oral alimentation, providing both nutritional and social benefits. We hope you will join us and further explore this complex and enigmatic condition, both as a clinician and as a surgeon.