Surgery for Heartburn

A hiatal hernia may form at the opening in the diaphragm where the esophagus joins the stomach. A portion of the stomach may push through the opening and enter the chest cavity causing a haital hernia. Most small hiatal hernias do not cause problems, and persons may never know they have a hiatal hernia unless it is discovered when checking for other conditions. However a large hiatal hernia can allow food and acid to reflux into the esophagus, leading to heartburn and chest pain.

The exact cause of hiatal hernias is not known. The signs and symptoms of a hiatal hernia tend to become worse when you lean forward, strain, lift heavy objects or lie down, and they can also worsen during pregnancy and when persons are obese. Rarely, part of the stomach that extends into the chest cavity may become twisted and strangulate. This can cause the stomach's blood supply to be stopped which can lead to chest pain, difficulty swallowing, or blockage of the esophagus.

Behavior modification or medications usually relieve these symptoms, although many hiatal hernias need surgical repair. Repairing this defect will decrease if not totally eliminate symptoms such as heart burn, chest pain related to gastroesophageal reflux disease and eliminate the risk of strangulation of any herniated stomach. In gastric banding surgery, hiatal hernias always need to be repaired, and this is our protocol at Western Bariatric.

Risk factors for a hiatal hernia are obesity, history of smoking, and age greater than fifty. If you have a hiatal hernia or if you have severe reflux, talk to your surgeon about repairing it at same time of your bariatric surgery.