Severe stroke patients often suffer from dysphagia, which severely impedes their recovery and affects their quality of life. As a new non-invasive neuromodulation technique, pharyngeal electrical stimulation (PES) has shown significant clinical value in the treatment of post stroke dysphagia, which can improve swallowing function, shorten hospital stay and reduce related complications. However, there are still some controversies about this treatment, such as the standard of care, the population to be treated and the long-term effects. This review summarizes and discusses the mechanism of action and progress in the application of PES in the treatment of dysphagia in severe stroke patients, with the aim of providing a reference for clinical management and future research.