MOBILE SERVICES WE OFFER

1. Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES)

A FEES study is the only diagnostic study used to assess, directly visualize and diagnose the functional performance of a patient's actual swallowing mechanism. A small, flexible endoscope is introduced through the nose and rests directly above the larynx/swallowing mechanism. With the endoscope in place, patients will eat and drink a variety of regular items in order to examine the entire swallowing system, and no anesthetic is used. Full-color video and audio is captured, as well as a variety of pictures. The procedure lasts (on average) around 15 minutes and is not painful.

Other diagnostic imaging procedures for swallowing disorders (like Modified Barium Swallow Studies/Videofluoroscopy) require patients to be transported to the radiology suite and require patients to ingest radioactive material and then be subjected to radioactive x-rays. As well, these studies do not directly image the patient's anatomy, they are not turned on for the entire study, and they miss a variety of post-swallowing events due to their radioactivity (e.g., post-swallow residue clearing, post-swallow regurgitation, post-swallow aspiration/penetration, etc). At Florida Voice and Swallowing Diagnostics, we utilize modern small-bore, flexible endoscopes to provide the ultimate care for our patients from the comfort of their own bed. This means no more transporting patients to a hospital or radiology suite causing them undue burden and stress, and no more lost productivity at your facility. As well, your treating therapists can bill the same day that we provide our diagnostic services. An example image of the clarity and quality that is seen with our endoscopes:

2. Laryngeal Videostroboscopy for Voice Disorders

Voice disorders impact a variety of people to a variety of degrees; proper imaging of the vocal folds (along with a behavioral and acoustic analysis) allow healthcare providers to understand exactly what is occurring and how best to treat the disorder. A small, flexible endoscope is introduced through the nose and rests directly above the larynx. With the endoscope in place, patients will perform a variety of vocalizations while a special stroboscopic light is turned on, which allows the diagnostician to capture the exact vocal fold motion in a slow and clear motion. The procedure lasts around 15 minutes and is not painful. This procedure can be performed at the patient's bedside, and a full-color video and audio recording is saved, highlighting the actual anatomy and functional physiology of your patient's vocal mechanism.

3. Voice and Swallowing Therapy

Based on the results of the diagnostic imaging and our compensatory strategy evaluation, we can help identify areas of weaknesses to be targeted in a therapy program. In our diagnostic report, we leave your treating Speech-Language Pathologist with these recommendations. Our ultimate goal is to assist you, your family member or your patient in gaining back their ability to eat, swallow, speak or sing. Though we are primarily a diagnostic service, we are happy to provide therapy on-site at any location as well! We utilize the most up-to-date, evidence-based paradigms, and we have a variety of treatment modalities. Our voice and swallowing team has years of training and combined tens of thousands of hours working with a variety of voice and swallowing disorders. We have worked with professional voice users (singers, actors and comedians) as well as professionals who require their voice for their work (teachers, attorneys, psychologists, etc.); we also work with children and adults. Please contact us for any therapy needs!

4. TRAINING AND CONSULTING

The owner of Florida Voice and Swallowing Diagnostics (David Ross, M.S., CCC-SLP) is completing his Doctoral work and is currently applying to become Board Certified by the American Board of Swallowing Disorders, so the field of voice and swallowing is his passion! David has been providing endoscopic services for years. He works in conjunction with an ASHA-approved CEU company that trains a variety of Medical Speech-Language Pathologists and Healthcare Providers in Endoscopy, Stroboscopy and Laryngoscopy. David is a Clinical Fellow Supervisor and CEU Trainer for hundreds of Medical SLPs and students around the country, and he has been asked to guest lecture and speak at a variety of State and National Conferences and Universities around the world. David is the co-founder of the first global swallowing charity (Curadis) and has worked with a variety of facilities, practices and Speech-Language Pathologists to start their own voice and/or swallowing programs. Please contact us if you have any training or consultation needs!