5504V - Identifying the Rate of Silent Aspiration and Dysphagia Trends in Adults Following Craniectomy and Craniotomy

Patients with neurological injuries and lesions can experience many functional changes, such as oropharyngeal dysphagia. This can result in silent aspiration, which is undetectable without an instrumental swallowing assessment. Currently, there is limited research on the rate of silent aspiration and dysphagia trends in patients who have undergone a craniectomy or craniotomy. The present study analyzed the electronic medical records of eleven patients who underwent neurosurgical intervention to identify results of instrumental swallowing assessment via Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES). In our sample, 63.6% of patients silently aspirated at least one bolus consistency. Results will be discussed in light of determining dysphagia management pathways for optimal patient outcomes, including advocacy for instrumental swallowing assessments in such vulnerable populations.