WZ,

You still can have aspirational pneumonia from saliva or even acid reflux, even with a feeding tube, but I’m not sure of the percentage rates. When I was going through “swallow boot camp” I was told there was new information about those with head and neck cancer and aspiration recovering from pneumonia better than others in various medical populations, but I never read a medical paper on it.

Fever, although it can accompany infection, it is not always the case even with that or aspirational pneumonia, speaking from experience.

Does you doctors agree on a feeding tube? Maybe swallow therapy with or without a feeding tube will help?

With a feeding tube you still can eat by mouth. I had my second tube about 5 years as I was afraid to do without it through my various future treatments. After it broke, I had the button type taken out by endoscopy through my mouth, which was not fun. My first tube I was able to be yanked out, so there is a difference in types, I think balloon and plug, but my memory is fading.

Good luck with everything!