PECONIC BAY MEDICAL CENTER SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY PROGRAM OFFERS INNOVATIVE THERAPY FOR PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FROM THE SIMPLE ACT OF SWALLOWING

An estimated 15 million Americans suffer from dysphagia - difficulty or discomfort while swallowing. The condition can range from mild discomfort to complete inability to swallow.   An impaired swallow often results in feeding restrictions, which in turn can contribute to a decline in quality of life.

The Peconic Bay Medical Center Speech Language Pathology Department now offers The VitalStim® Therapy System - the first proven treatment for dysphagia and the only dysphagia therapy cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).  VitalStim® Therapy is a safe, effective and non-invasive therapy system based on neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and is
proven to restore the swallowing function to patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia. A carefully calibrated electrical current is administered to the anterior neck through specially designed external electrodes that stimulates
the peripheral motor nerves, eliciting a contraction in the muscles responsible for normal swallowing.  Concurrently, a trained specialist administers rehabilitation therapy to help re-educate the muscles needed for swallowing, resulting in improved quality of muscle contraction and
improved swallowing function.  In patients with severe dysphagia, VitalStim® Therapy’s success rate in restoring
patient’s swallowing function past the point of requiring a feeding tube (PEG) is 97.5%. In well over one-third of these patients VitalStim® Therapy was able to completely restore swallowing function.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this type of swallowing therapy to our patients and the East End community”, said Veronica Cea, M.S. CCC/SLP and Speech Language Pathology Coordinator at Peconic Bay Medical Center.  “Dysphagia or a swallowing impairment can be the result of a stroke, neurological disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, head or neck cancer or deconditioning as a result of age. Being able to provide positive patient outcomes is gratifying for the patient and their family. Some say that ‘food defines life’ and this type of therapy can restore quality of life to a person”, says Veronica.

For more information please call the Peconic Bay Medical Center Speech Language Pathology Department at
631-548-6812.