Here you can find resources to prepare yourself and your patient for their FEES exam. We will also be adding resources to help you better understand and interpret FEES reports in order to best help your patient. New resources added regularly!
How to Schedule a FEES
This step-by-step document will provide you with everything you need to know for scheduling a patient for a FEES exam and what to expect on the day of. The second document is the PO and supplies you will need to provide for the FEES. If you are having trouble identifying if a patient may be appropriate for a FEES exam, please reach out via text, call or email and we would be happy to discuss.
What is FEES?
What is the best way to explain FEES to your patient in order to help them participate with ease and reduce their anxiety?
First I give them the specific reasoning for the exam. “There is a concern for difficulty swallowing, therefore we need to directly visualize the anatomy and swallow function in order to determine an appropriate treatment plan.”
Next, I tell them what the exam entails and about the PO trials. “A small camera will go in your nose to look at your throat, but it doesn’t go very far, only to the top part of the throat. We will give you things to eat and drink that are dyed green, and watch how it goes down as you swallow.”
Lastly, I am honest with them that it can be uncomfortable or feel funny when the camera first goes in the nose, but it should not be painful. “Getting through the nose is the most uncomfortable part, then we move through the exam as quickly as possible.”
Make sure that you both understand what the collective end goal is! “At the end of the exam, the goal would be to get you eating and drinking the foods you like, as safely and easily as possible.”
Video demo coming soon!
Resources for FEES Reports
I regularly get questions about the content of our FEES reports, so we have been working on some resources to help you breakdown what everything means. In our reports you will find various tables with objective data along with a narrative of findings. Each resource below covers one the objective measures that we use in our reports. The resource gives a general description, how it is used in the report and how the objective finding can benefit you and your patient.
I would love your help in creating more resources and a FAQ’s for FEES, so please send any and all questions my way!!