Mayo Clinic offers expert care to adults with complex swallowing disorders. The Swallowing Clinic at Mayo’s campus in Arizona offers complete diagnostic and treatment services for people who struggle with swallowing. This difficulty might be due to trauma, cancer, inflammation or other conditions. It’s one of very few such places in the nation that brings together key experts in one visit to help people with these conditions.
This clinic is the first such program at Mayo Clinic that offers consults with specialists in these areas:
- Speech pathology.
- Ear, nose and throat, called otolaryngology.
- Conditions of the digestive tract, called gastroenterology.
Consults are on the same day at the same time.
A team-based approach
Our team-based approach enhances convenience for you, especially if you're traveling to the clinic from out of state. It also improves coordination among the healthcare professionals helping you. You'll leave with a comprehensive multidisciplinary treatment plan that includes education and counseling.
Your multidisciplinary team includes:
- A speech-language pathologist specializing in swallowing and swallowing disorders. Our speech pathologists are board-certified in swallowing through the American Board of Swallowing and Swallowing Disorders. This means that they have undergone extra training to meet the highest standards of care for people with these conditions.
- An otolaryngologist specializing in conditions of the larynx. This type of doctor is an expert in diagnosing and treating head and neck conditions that affect swallowing. An otolaryngologist is also called an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. And a specialist in the larynx is called a laryngologist.
- A gastroenterologist specializing in swallowing disorders related to the digestive tract.
Your comprehensive care plan may include referrals to experts in dietetics, neurology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, pulmonary medicine, rheumatology, psychology, and other areas as needed. This ensures you get whole-body care and comprehensive assessment. Your Mayo Clinic healthcare team also coordinates access to the patient education and palliative care services.
Advanced diagnosis and treatment
Treatment for swallowing disorders depends on the cause of the problem. This makes it essential to get the diagnosis right. Many people come to Mayo Clinic after years of dealing with a swallowing issue and unsuccessful treatment or conflicting medical opinions.
The Swallowing Clinic offers high-tech evaluations to identify the cause of your swallowing difficulties. You may have an X-ray study of your swallow function, called a videofluoroscopic swallowing study. You also may have a test called flexible laryngoscopy with transnasal esophagoscopy. In this test, a tiny camera placed through the nose allows the care team to examine the throat and esophagus while you are awake. The results from these evaluations are available right away. Your care team also may suggest you undergo other tests, such as an upper endoscopy while asleep, manometry to evaluate pressures in your throat and esophagus, and reflux testing.
Mayo Clinic is a leader in advanced treatment options, including innovative endoscopic and minimally invasive surgical treatments for disorders of the mouth, throat and esophagus. These treatment options may be combined with training to learn strategies and behaviors that improve swallowing function. Mayo Clinic serves as a test center for evaluating new technologies.
Expertise and rankings
Each year, the doctors of Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; and Rochester, Minnesota, diagnose and treat more than 16,000 people who have difficulty swallowing.
A full range of medical and surgical services for people with digestive disorders is offered by the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. And people with head and neck disorders are helped by the Department of Otolaryngology (ENT)/ — Head and Neck Surgery. These expert teams work together to make sure that each person gets exactly the right level of care.
The experts of the Swallowing Clinic also work closely with the Larynx and Trachea Transplant Program in Arizona. This program is a national and international referral center for complex airway and swallowing disorders.
Mayo Clinic in Arizona is the No. 1 hospital in Arizona for 11 consecutive years. Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, is ranked among the Best Hospitals for digestive disorders by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Mayo Clinic in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, are ranked among the Best Hospitals for ear, nose and throat and cancer care by U.S. News & World Report.
Who might benefit from visiting the Swallowing Clinic in Arizona?
The healthcare professionals of the Swallowing Clinic at Mayo Clinic Arizona may evaluate and treat adults:
- With complex swallowing problems.
- Who have not found the help they need after years of living with swallowing issues and are seeking a second or third opinion.
- Who need the expertise of several specialists, including a laryngologist, gastroenterologist and speech pathologist.
- Who may need a personalized plan of care that includes one or more diagnostic and treatment options.
What to expect
A typical visit to the Swallowing Clinic begins in the morning with the speech pathologist, who gives you a diagnostic test called a videofluoroscopic swallowing study. This test is also known as a modified barium swallow study. During this study, the speech-language pathologist uses a live X-ray to watch how liquid and food move from your mouth to your stomach. This provides a road map to the swallow.
Then in the afternoon you meet with the speech pathologist, laryngologist and gastroenterologist for further assessment. At this time, you undergo a procedure called a flexible laryngoscopy. You also talk with your care team about your next steps and treatment options.
Coping and support
Your multidisciplinary swallow team offers continued support throughout your care plan.
Doctors and other clinicians
Research and innovation
Our clinician-scientists and other researchers are committed to developing better treatments for people with swallowing disorders. These scientists are researching swallowing disorders to develop new solutions that improve outcomes. See a list of publications about swallowing disorders by Mayo Clinic researchers on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.
Learn more about Mayo Clinic's research in otolaryngology — head and neck surgery.
Learn more about Mayo Clinic's research in gastroenterology and hepatology.
Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s research in head and neck regenerative medicine.
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Arizona