Patient Rejoices After Hospital Care

To say Lone Pine resident Joyce Spearman has a lot of energy is an understatement. Whether cross-country running, horseback riding, hiking, fishing or walking her border collie, she loves being outdoors and on the go. That was until a few years ago when she was forced to reduce her activities due to the effects of abdominal pain and anemia caused by internal bleeding.

After years of treating her symptoms with iron supplements, antacids and sometimes even blood transfusions, gastroenterologist Vivaik Tyagi, M.D., finally identified the sources of the problem: a hernia, an ulcer and acid gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Fortunately Joyce was a perfect candidate for the new TIF (transoral incisionless fundoplication) procedure to resolve the GERD. Antelope Valley Hospital is one of the only community hospitals to offer this noninvasive treatment option. Dr. Tyagi used the TIF procedure on Joyce at the same time Walid Arnaout,
M.D., performed surgery to correct the hernia. So, all her conditions were addressed at the same time. During the TIF procedure, a small camera (endoscope) is inserted into a surgical device, which goes through the patient’s mouth to the valve where the esophagus and stomach meet. Dr. Tyagi then uses plastic sutures to rebuild, lengthen and strengthen this valve to prevent acid from leaking into the esophagus. Because TIF does not require incisions, patients experience quicker recovery times and better outcomes. “I feel amazing,” Joyce exclaimed. “I received the best care at Antelope Valley Hospital, and feel like these doctors gave me my life back.”