PHOENIX (Aug. 15, 2023) – 55-year-old Michael John Coe of Prescott Valley never thought much about his ability to swallow until he was forced to re-learn this essential function after suffering three strokes recently. Coe, who works professionally as a chef and baker, was the second patient at Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix to benefit from a new therapy called pharyngeal electrical stimulation, or PES, which is delivered via the Phagenyx Neurostimulation System. Phagenyx helps patients with dysphagia, a common condition following stroke, to regain their swallowing function and ability to eat and drink.

Phagenyx PES therapy works by utilizing a specialized catheter with built-in electrodes that provide small electrical pulses to stimulate critical sensory nerves within the throat (pharynx), shown to reestablish communication between these nerves and the brain. The treatment lasts for ten minutes per day for at least three and up to six days. The therapy is carried out by speech pathologists based on their assessment and is another important tool they use to help patients regain swallowing function.