What does “non-invasive treatment” mean?

A swallowing disorder (dysphagia) or a respiratory disorder (respiratory weakness or airway obstruction) can be so severe that medical interventions are necessary to compensate for the motor deficits involved in swallowing and breathing. In general, a distinction must be made between non-invasive and invasive methods.

Invasive therapy involves surgical procedures as part of the treatment. Invasive nutritional therapy consists of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), in which a surgical channel is created between the stomach and the body’s surface to position a feeding tube. Invasive ventilation involves surgically creating an opening in the trachea (tracheostomy) to place a tracheal cannula in that opening, which is then connected to a ventilator.

Unlike the invasive procedures mentioned above, non-invasive treatment does not involve surgical methods to support nutrition and ventilation. Nutritional support using a high-calorie liquid nutritional supplement is a non-invasive form of nutritional therapy designed to ensure adequate nutrition (despite swallowing difficulties). Mask ventilation and the use of a cough assist device are non-invasive methods for treating respiratory and cough weakness.