Dysphagia, a condition often overshadowed in medical discussions, took center stage at the Amrita Hospital, Kochi from October 26 to 29, 2023. The four-day conference, DYSPHAGIA 2023, brought together an assembly of international experts, medical professionals, and enthusiasts to share knowledge on dysphagia.
The conference was hosted by the Amrita Swallow Centre under the Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology Department, marking a significant milestone in the field of deglutology. The event aimed to shed light on dysphagia across multiple medical domains, including oncology, pediatrics, and neurology, and to celebrate a decade of progress in deglutology.
The conference kicked off with a pre-conference workshop, offering live demonstrations of instrumental swallowing evaluation, with international and national faculties providing academic orientation. The subsequent three days were dedicated to sub-branches of deglutology, with each day focusing on oncology, neurology, and pediatrics. A separate session also delved into esophago-gastro and dietetics, covering all aspects of dysphagia evaluation and management.
The event witnessed more than 5 international faculties and 50+ national speakers and researchers coming together to raise awareness and improve the quality of treatment for patients with dysphagia. It provided a unique opportunity for professionals and enthusiasts to collaborate on a global scale.
Some notable figures included:
- Alex Stewart: Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow and Specialist Speech and Language Therapist at Great Ormond Street Hospital/UCL in London, UK.
- Brenda Villegas: Clinical Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and Administrative Director at USC Head and Neck Center, University of Southern California, USA.
- Grainne Brady: Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow at Imperial College London and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
- Jodi Allen: Clinical doctoral research fellow at University College London and Speech and Language Therapist at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in the UK.
- Justin Roe: A renowned Consultant Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) specializing in swallowing, speech, and voice issues caused by head and neck cancer.
- Melody Ouyoung: Manager of Speech Pathology at Keck Medical Center of USC in Los Angeles, USA.
- Uttam Sinha: Professor of Otolaryngology and Medical Director of Head and Neck Surgery, Watt Family endowed chair for head and neck cancers.
A Decade of Deglutology
DYSPHAGIA 2023 served as a platform to commemorate a decade of dedicated training and research in the field of deglutology. Amrita Viswa Vidyapeetham, a pioneer in this domain, began offering exclusive post-graduation training for speech language pathologists in deglutology and swallowing disorders management in 2012. Graduates from the Amrita Swallow Centre now work in major centers across the globe. The conference, held in association with FDRE and the NGO Society for Swallowing Disorders, celebrated this remarkable journey.
