Vietnam veteran Tom Rider has returned to being a mainstay at his local golf course after abdominal pain and rapid weight loss led to a robotic-assisted surgery at Methodist Richardson Medical Center.
The 85-year-old from Denton has lived with kidney disease for years, so he suspected that was the culprit for his pain. His kidneys became an afterthought, however, when not one but two tumors in his digestive tract made surgery a necessity.
“At my age, I expect to have some health issues, but I sure didn’t anticipate this issue to be as complex as it was,” says Tom, a Navy and Army Reserves veteran who retired after 40 years working in insurance. “I tell people, if you have to get sick and need surgery, go to Methodist Richardson.”
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LOSING WEIGHT RAPIDLY
When Tom started shedding pounds and dropped to 139 pounds, he and his wife, Betty, assumed it was a kidney issue and reached out to his specialist near their Denton home.
“My hepatologist ordered X-rays to help diagnose my symptoms,” he says. “Everyone was shocked when the imaging revealed a tumor in my duodenum.”
The duodenum connects the stomach to the small intestine and helps turn partially digested food into nutrients. When tumors form here, they prevent proper digestion, starving Tom’s body of the nutrients he needed.
Tom needed a biopsy to determine whether the tumor was malignant. He was referred to a gastroenterologist, who performed an upper endoscopy, where a thin, flexible tube is inserted through the esophagus, pushed through the stomach, and into the intestines.
“When I came out of that procedure, the doctor explained he had not been able to get a sample of the tumor for biopsy due to its challenging location,” Tom explains.
But before Tom and Betty could begin worrying, their doctor offered to refer them to a specialist if they were willing to make the drive to Methodist Richardson.
Tom’s service in the U.S. Navy included a tour of duty stationed at Okinawa during VIetnam.
COMPLICATED SURGERY
Not long afterward, Tom would meet Rohan Jeyarajah, MD, FACS, director of gastrointestinal services and program director of the hepatopancreaticobiliary surgery fellowship at Methodist Richardson.
“Within moments of our first visit with Dr. Jey, we knew that we had found the right surgeon,” Tom recalls. “His competency in the complicated GI diagnosis was evident from the beginning.”
Dr. Jeyarajah explained to Tom and his wife that removing the tumor surgically was the only option because of its location, blocking the stomach’s output. Fortunately, the tumor was pre-cancerous, but removing it remained a priority.
“Tom needed what is called a Whipple procedure,” Dr. Jeyarajah says. “We surgically remove the head of the pancreas, the gallbladder, the duodenum, the bile ducts, and part of the stomach.”
Also known as a pancreaticoduodenectomy, this surgery can take six to eight hours and must be done in a high-volume center by surgeons with advanced training to ensure successful outcomes. In this case, Dr. Jeyarajah would be working with robotic assistance, as well.
“For an old man like me, robotic surgery seemed like a stretch,” Tom says, “but after Dr. Jeyarajah laid out how he utilizes the robotic technology, I felt confident in the choice.”
Understanding Tom’s hesitancy, Dr. Jeyarajah explained that Whipple procedures have been performed at Methodist Richardson for 10 years, and around 80 patients a year undergo the procedure there.
A year after his surgery, Tom has regained his strength and an active lifestyle at age 85.
SECOND TUMOR REMOVED
At the end of April 2025, Tom had a successful Whipple procedure with an unexpected result.
“During surgery, I found a second tumor that never showed on imaging and was able to remove it, as well,” Dr. Jeyarajah says. “Tom was able to go home about a week later and continues to thrive.”
Dr. Jeyarajah praises Tom for noticing his symptoms, getting a medical opinion, and seeking answers.
And for his part, Tom believes he chose the right place in Methodist Richardson to get those answers.
“I sure didn’t anticipate this issue to be as complex as it was,” says Tom. “Finding the right doctor was key. I can’t speak highly enough about the care and the staff.”
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