Utility of side-lying posture in a patient with severe dysphagia secondary to oropharyngeal cancer surgery: A single case report

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have documented the utility of side-lying in dysphagia management. We report on a patient who benefitted from the side-lying posture for safe and efficient oral intake. PATIENT: The patient underwent resections of the left tongue base, the left lateral pharyngeal wall, and a left marginal mandibulectomy for oropharyngeal cancer. The Videofluoroscopic Swallowing Study (VFSS) on Postoperative Day (POD) 10 confirmed significant pyriform sinus residue and post-swallow aspiration. Techniques including bolus modification, the 45-degree reclining position, head rotation to the left, and the Mendelsohn maneuver did not prevent post-swallow aspiration of severe pyriform sinus residue. Instead of the 45-degree reclining position, when fed in the side-lying posture with head rotation to the left and the Mendelsohn maneuver, residue clearance was improved on the second VFSS on POD 34. The patient started taking gelatin jelly and continued swallowing exercises in side-lying with head rotation to the left and the Mendelsohn maneuver. With the same techniques, aspiration was not observed in the third VFSS on POD 50. We upgraded the patient’s diet to a pureed diet two months after surgery. The patient resumed taking a regular diet sitting upright by four months after the operations with no aspiration pneumonia. CONCLUSION: The use of side-lying posture, when combined with other techniques, has compensated for the unilateral pharyngeal dysmotility after cancer resection. This preliminary finding suggests that side-lying posture may be an option as a transitional compensatory technique for safe and effective swallowing until the patient returns to full oral intake.