AF & hiatus hernia

[Jonco]

After being diagnosed with AF April this year I had several scans. It was discovered I have a suspected bicuspid aortic valve with mild stenosis. I would never have known without the AF. One cardioversion later which restored nsr for a couple of days only and I am 3 weeks away from an ablation. Having only read through my scan results after they were made available I have noted they have recorded the presence of a large hiatus hernia ! No one had told me about this. I have had breathlessness and chest pains but now wonder whether the hernia is the cause of that and not the AF, I also wonder if the hernia is the root cause of the AF, previously I was very fit with no issues. Has anyone had or know of anything similar ?

[Tommyboy21]

I've a hiatus hernia and am pretty sure it's the cause of most of my AF lately. After eating sitting down. I start getting swollen stomach feeling into chest area. . Burping.Then that seems to set off AF.

[meadfoot]

My hiatus hernia was diagnosed a few weeks before my af started. I am pretty sure there is a link in my case. When my hiatus hernia plays up so does my afib.

[Singwell]

It's helpful to see someone post about this as I'm pretty sure I have one. Other members will report too I'm sure. There's a nice video about this on the York Cardiologist YouTube channel where he explains the impact of HH on heart function. I asked my EP about this and he said that HH wasn't necessarily a cause of AF as there would be at least as many people without HH who have AF as those with. But he said it could be a contributory factor. Is yours a sliding HH or permanent? Mine comes and goes I think and I manage it with careful eating habits. Makes a big difference. Start by eating your last meal of the day at least 3 hours before bed. Meaning, last mouthful 3 hours before. Nothing to drink after unless you need a bit of water.

[Ppiman]

I have a small HH, and yours might be "sliding" and so variable or more fixed. There is very little work that I can find linking the two (AF and HH). One study showed that a large HH can cause AF, and a surgical repair stopped the AF, as I recall.

My own belief is that the two seem linked and cause similar discomfort under the left rib and into the back - but which is which, and what causes what, I really am less sure about.

Steve

[Jonco]

thank you for your replies, really helpful. I don’t know the type of hernia yet (fixed or sliding)as this is something I picked up on from online notes I’ve been sent re my heart scan pre ablation. The scan detailed the make up and build of my heart and as an incidental mentioned the large hiatus hernia. When I’ve googled this the symptoms are breathlessness, chest pain, reflux amongst others. This is the stuff I’d put down to the AF solely. I had a stomach scan in December due to abdominal pain but my gp sent the notes to the wrong doctor so they haven’t been assessed yet, they are now on it. So my thoughts are that this is a potential trigger for the AF. In the whole I’ve had a big slice of luck as without the AF the bicuspid valve would have remained unknown and potentially they stay asymptomatic, and I now have an explanation for the abdominal pains and discomfort. I’ve an ablation in 3 weeks and want to give it the best shot of success.

[Tommyboy21 in reply to Jonco]

Mines is sliding. Picked up in endoscopy .

[Singwell in reply to Jonco]

When I mentioned I might have an HH to my EP prior to ablation he said not to worry- he could still do the procedure. I understand there's a few practitioners who can massage the hernia back into the stomach. I'm considering it in the future as I know someone who's had it done. Not pleasant I imagine.