Is Dysphagia After Cardiac Operations a “Preexisting Condition”? [1]
The authors tested a group of 176 patients undergoing cardiac surgery for dysphagia both preoperatively and postoperatively. Preoperatively, 8.5% of patients failed the swallow test. Postoperatively, 21.6% failed the test. All patients who failed preoperatively also failed postoperatively. Thus, approximately 40% fo patients who have postop dysphagia had evidence of dysphagia preoperatively.
These results beg the question: Ought we to be screening at-risk patients for dysphagia preoperatively? If so, how would this change management postop?