HIATAL HERNIA

[gussmithy]

Hello. Has anyone had surgery for a sliding hiatal hernia? If so, I'd be grateful to hear of their experience of the operation and afterwards. Thank you.

[Desertislandblue]

I would not have it as it can make it worse in the long run , can turn into a paraesophageal hiatal hernia which is more dangerous. 3 consultants including GP advised me that the operation is generally not successful and it unwraps again. People have had to have more than once surgery and there symptoms don’t go away. Also depending on how tight you have the Nissan fundoplication , you may get food stuck down there and not be able to belch or vomit anymore . If you have any Intestinal problems they may be worse because of this. I have a sliding hiatal hernia of 3cm and Oesophagitis and I’ve been told I’m not a candidate for surgery despite suffering with terrible symptoms on a daily basis. Just another important thing the recovery is worse than the operation. You have to be.on a liquid and then mushy food diet for at least 3-4 weeks and full recovery can take from 3 months up to 8 months and that is if your operation is successful. Doctors advise the successful operations can last from 3 months up to 5 years but very rarely can they last up to 10 years. I would recommend you join the hiatal hernia support groups , one is over 30K members and the other one is about 10K. It is a disorder that unfortunately has no cure and has a massive impact on our lives.

[gussmithy in reply to Desertislandblue]

Thank you so much, this is just the sort of info I need albeit it's very disheartening. I think that there are different types of operations and I don't yet know which I would be offered - it's early days. Sorry to hear how badly it is affecting you - worse than me by the sound of it as I do feel sort-of OK between bouts of symptoms ( 1 or 2 bouts a dy after eating). I will investigate the Facebook site you mention, thank you.

[Desertislandblue in reply to gussmithy]

You’re very welcome, this hiatal hernia is terrible to honest . The worst flare up symptoms which I have now is tightness grip of the upper abdominal diaphragm which are spasms as the stomach pushes through the diaphragm into the hiatus of the oesophagus releasing acid up. I am having this even without eating and gets worse after eating. The worst part of it is the pressure pushing up to the sternum of the chest (bottom middle part) and you get rib cage pain and heart burn or pain and your anxiety go through the roof because of it. I can’t sit , stand or lay on my back when the flare up is so intense. I lose my appetite so many times. Stress makes it worse with what is going on in the world and the cost of living. Trouble is unlike other hernias this is a difficult one to repair , risky and causes vagus nerve issues. If you have IBS also it can make this debilitating. I find PPI aggravate my stomach more and can only tolerate Lansoprazole.

[Desertislandblue]

sorry the support groups you can search on Facebook : Hiatal Hernia Support Group

[MistyDay]

Such a difficult one. Years ago they would do a simple repair but they no longer do this. My brother was faced with the same problem and decided against as he was concerned about the succcess rate and recovery.Not sure if they still also add mesh which has additional problems.He is about the same age as you. He takes rennies, gaviscon advance is careful what he eats and when and has a raised bed.So much depends on the skill of the surgeon doing the surgery .New treatments come out all the time. About time they found a better procedure for this. Good luck.

[xjrs]

Not sure if this new treatment called RefluxStop (available on the NHS) is any better, though may be based on a specific type of hiatal hernia? Just a thought:

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articl...

imperial.nhs.uk/about-us/ne...

[MistyDay in reply to xjrs]

Thanks for this. I will forward the link to my brother.

[edwangy]

My sister, 66yrs old had the op last october. It was done laproscopically and she had 5 very small scars after. She had to eat a soft food diet for six weeks afterwards til she was fully recovered. She is now back to her old self and can eat and drink whatever she likes.