Carrau Ricardo L. - Comprehensive management of swallowing disorders

Comprehensive Management of Swallowing Disorders

Second Edition

Ricardo L. Carrau, MD, FACS Thomas Murry, PhD, CCC-SLP Rebecca J. Howell, MD

Contents

Foreword

Welcome to the second edition of Comprehensive Management of Swallowing Disorders . This textbook provides one of the most comprehensive works on dysphagia that the world has ever seen.

If you are fortunate to live long enough, it is likely that you or someone you love will develop a swallowing disorder. The disability caused by dysphagia can be physically and emotionally devastating. Some have likened the suffering to a perpetual state of being water boarded. Our patients with dysphagia, however, are resilient and remarkably courageous in their fight to restore dignity to a life that has been radically altered.

Although there has been great advance in swallowing diagnostics, there has been little progress in the management of profound dysphagia. This second edition textbook addresses a fundamental knowledge gap and provides the dysphagia clinician with a comprehensive foundation for which future treatment innovation can be made.

I would like to thank the editors and contributors for their tireless effort, consummate devotion, and enduring passion in the completion of this work. Your dedication is infectious and provides the catalyst for future progress.

We must take advantage of the opportunity provided by this work to disrupt the stagnation in translational research for swallowing disorders. Complacency is not an option. For those of us who do battle in the clinic, on the ward, in the operating room, and in the lab, let us redouble our efforts to innovate, raise awareness, and make a difference. Vitalize your sense of innovation and THINK BIG. The time is now.

Preface

The first edition of Comprehensive Management of Swallowing Disorders was published in 1999 by Singular Publishing Group. When Singular was sold, the new company retained the contract. The text continued to sell despite the lack of active marketing. Eventually, the authors (R.L.C., T.M.) successfully reacquired the rights to the book. A second printing by Plural Publishing Incorporated in 2006 resulted in continued strong interest in the book.

The continued interest in the first edition was the stimulus to produce this new and updated edition. Drs. Carrau and Murry were fortunate to be joined by Rebecca Howell, MD as a coeditor. Dr. Howell brings a new enthusiasm to the book and a new group of dysphagia specialists to the second edition. With several authors from the first edition and the addition of new authors, the editors have updated each section of the book. This edition represents the broad interests of the medical, surgical, and behavioral specialists who treat swallowing disorders. The authors bring their research and teaching expertise to the contents of the revised book. The second edition of Comprehensive Management of Swallowing Disorders is both a clinical reference as well as a textbook for all specialists involved in dysphagia teaching and clinical care.