What Are The After Effects Of Hiatal Hernia Surgery?

Posted on Fri, 9 Feb 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 9 Feb 2018 Answered on

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 Last reviewed on

Question : by x-ray and upper GI, i've been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia. a very large one that is partially up in my chest cavity. i've been needing to get the correction surgery but i've been told that the dr will put some type of "flap" in my stomach and i won't be able to burp or vomit if need be. is this true? if so, can i have the surgery and the dr not put that "flap" in there?

Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (55 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Please give additional information and post reports of investigations

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Noted the history and understood the concerns.
Please give additional information for me to assist you better:
Please post all the reports.
What are your symptoms?
Duration?
Severity?
Please give all the details.
Medications tried.
Awaiting.

Do write in and I can suggest the remedies accordingly.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. T Chandrakant (2 days later)

i've had x-rays, upper GI to confirm the hiatal hernia. wish i could send you these. 2 weeks ago i started getting pain right below the breast bone and started getting light headed. woke up on the floor and was able to text my daughter. when we got to the hospital my O2 sat was at 77 per bloodwork; Chest and Abdomen CT: there is a large paraesophageal hernia with distention of the stomach above the diaphragm including a moderately large amount of fliud within the herniated stomach. i can't remember what my BP was but i know the lower # was at 48. i've also been diagnosed with epigastric pain, which i think i experienced the other night.
the only med that i'm taking is omemprozal at 20mg, which helps with the gerd. if there was a way i could send you a pic of my chest x-ray, let me know. i have it on my cell phone. i hope this will be enough info otherwise i'll see what else i can find.
thank you

Answered by Dr. T Chandrakant (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Yes, this is true and you have to go for it.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Thanks for your feedback and tell the diagnosis well.
large paraesophageal hernia wherein there was a distension of the stomach above the diaphragm is a straightforward reason for surgical repair as it has shown the complications as you experienced.

There will be repaired at the hiatus and to keep the stomach within the abdominal cavity the classical flap surgery is needed to give you the proper results. This is true. Go for it as the complications of such a large hernia are more important to be tackled than the inability to burp or vomit.

Hope I have answered your query.

Regards,
Dr. T Chandrakant,
General Surgeon

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad