Treatment Options at the UPMC Swallowing Disorders Center

Because swallowing disorders vary in the degree of severity, experts at UPMC's Swallowing Disorders Center create a personal treatment plan for each patient.

Treatments may include swallowing rehabilitation or, in severe cases, surgery.

Nonsurgical Treatments of Swallowing Disorders

The goals of swallowing rehab are to:

• Restore oral feeding to a level that is as normal as possible.
• Improve swallowing safety.
• Increase swallowing efficiency.

After you have a detailed swallow evaluation, you will see a speech-language pathologist who specializes in treating swallowing problems.

Your swallowing rehab treatment plan may include:

• Oral motor exercises
• Swallowing maneuvers
• Neck and body posture techniques
• Diet changes
• Nutrition counseling
• Voice strengthening exercises

Surgical Treatments for Swallowing Disorders

Surgery is a last resort reserved for people who do not respond to swallowing rehab.

UPMC's swallowing disorders experts customize surgical procedures to each patient's needs.

The main goal of surgery is to improve your existing swallowing function as much as possible.

The types of surgeries we perform at the UPMC Swallowing Disorders Center include:

• Medialization of the vocal cord
• Pharyngoesophageal dilation
• Cricopharyngeal myotomy
• Surgery for Zenker's diverticulum
• Palatopexy
• Laryngo-tracheal separation 

Learn More About Swallowing Disorders

From our Health Library:

• Difficulty Swallowing