An observational report of swallowing outcomes following corpus callosotomy

Determine swallowing outcomes following corpus callosotomy (CC) surgery.

Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing CC between July 2016 and November 2018 at a large, urban children's hospital.

Of the 18 patients without prior history of dysphagia who underwent CC, 15 received speech pathology consults for bedside swallowing evaluation (BSE). Four patients were referred for a videofluroscopic swallow study (VFSS), and 3 showed no signs of difficulty and were advanced to regular diets with thin liquids. One patient demonstrated swallowing difficulties during the VFSS and was placed on a regular diet with nectar thick liquids. Following a repeat swallow study 17 days post-surgery, the patient was advanced to thin liquids.

Postoperative dysphagia following CC is an uncommon and transient complication. Patients undergoing CC should have their swallowing evaluated prior to advancing their postoperative diet but are likely to return to normal diet and thin liquids by discharge.