Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication Specialist

What is transoral incisionless fundoplication?

Transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF) is an advanced treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

It’s an alternative to surgery and doesn’t involve making incisions into your body. Instead, the GI Specialists of Houston team accesses the problem area via your esophagus.

Why would I need transoral incisionless fundoplication?

You might benefit from TIF if you have GERD that isn’t responding to other treatments.

GERD develops because of a faulty lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The LES is a muscle that enables food to enter your stomach. It should open when you swallow, then close when food or liquid passes through. When you have GERD, the LES doesn’t seal properly, which allows stomach acid to reflux back up your esophagus.

The acid is too corrosive for the esophageal tissues, so they become inflamed. Heartburn, an unpleasant burning chest pain, results from acid reflux. Repeated acid reflux attacks (GERD) can cause long-term damage and increase your risk of conditions like Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer.

Medication and lifestyle changes are often effective in resolving GERD but aren’t successful for everyone. If you aren’t making much progress with medical treatments, transoral incisionless fundoplication could be the answer.

What does transoral incisionless fundoplication involve?

TIF corrects faulty LES function by restructuring the tissues. The GI Specialists of Houston team inserts the TIF device into your throat and down to the LES. The device consists of an endoscope (a flexible tube with a tiny camera) and specialized instruments.

Your provider can see the images sent back by the endoscope’s camera on a screen. They view a close-up of your LES and the surrounding tissues and use it to guide them as they wrap the top of your stomach around the damaged LES. When your stomach’s in position, your provider uses special fasteners to keep it in place. 

The LES heals around these fasteners, restoring normal LES function and relieving GERD symptoms. Healing takes 4-6 weeks, and you need to eat a specific diet during this time. You start with clear liquids, move on to soft foods, then carefully return to your regular diet.

TIF cures the source of GERD without the need for open surgery. If you think you could benefit from this procedure, call GI Specialists of Houston today or book an appointment online.