Oropharyngeal dysphagia in esophageal cancer before and after transhiatal esophagectomy

Although dysphagia is the predominant symptom of esophageal cancer, the nature of the swallowing deficit remains unclear, particularly regarding an oropharyngeal motor component. The present study examined the oropharyngeal swallow in patients with esophageal cancer before and following transhiatal esophagectomy. Videofluoroscopic data were obtained from ten patients with esophageal cancer before and following transhiatal esophagectomy as they swallowed 2-, 5-, and 10-cc aliquots of liquid and puree, and 0.5 and 1 tsp of solid. Each swallow was rated on 36 parameters by three independent judges. Swallow-related hyoid bone movement, computed from digitized segments of the videofluoroscopic data, was compared pre- and postsurgically. All patients showed at least mild abnormality of the oropharyngeal swallow preoperatively. Abnormalities involved all stages of swallowing in nine of the ten patients; however, the oral preparatory/oral stage was relatively more impaired than the pharyngeal stage in the majority of patients. Postsurgically, all patients exhibited at least a mild oropharyngeal swallowing impairment. New or increased postoperative deficits involved the pharyngeal stage of swallowing, whereas oral stage abnormalities were generally improved or unchanged following surgery. Swallow-related hyoid kinematics were highly variable both before and following surgery. Anterior hyoid bone excursion was significantly reduced postoperatively in one patient and significantly increased in one patient. Patients with esophageal cancer exhibit oropharyngeal dysphagia, with different profiles of abnormality before and following esophagectomy.