Surgical variables affecting postoperative swallowing efficiency in oral cancer patients: a pilot study

This study examined the correlation between swallow function at 3 months postoperatively and surgical variables including volume resected, flap volume, ratio of flap volume to volume resected, percentage of oral tongue, tongue base, and anterior and lateral floor of mouth resected, and whether or not the mandible was preserved in 30 surgically treated oral cancer patients. Swallows of measured amounts of liquid and paste (pudding) materials were examined videofluoroscopically. Nine measures of swallow function were completed for each swallow. A factor analysis of all swallow variables was done for liquid and for paste consistencies to determine whether one measure was statistically representative of all swallow measures. This analysis indicated that oral pharyngeal swallow efficiency (OPSE) represented all measures for both liquid and paste consistencies. Then the correlation between OPSE and surgical variables was defined. Only percentage of oral tongue and percentage of tongue base resected were significantly negatively correlated with OPSE. That is, OPSE decreased for both liquid and paste as percentage of oral tongue or percentage of tongue base resected increased. Results are discussed in terms of diet choices and surgical management.