Do you suffer from frequent heartburn and acid reflux? Do you often feel full after eating only a small meal? You may have a hiatal hernia. While lifestyle changes can ease your symptoms, they do not work for everyone. If you have a hiatal hernia and non-surgical treatments have not improved your symptoms, you may be a candidate for laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair.

What Is A Hiatal Hernia?

A hernia happens when one body part pushes into somewhere it doesn’t belong. Hiatal hernias occur when the top of your stomach bulges through a small opening in your diaphragm. This opening is called the hiatus. Normally, your hiatus allows your esophagus to pass through and connect to the stomach. With the hiatal hernia, the stomach pokes upward, creating a pouch. As the stomach protrudes into the hiatus, it can cause digestive problems such as heartburn, acid reflux or chest pain.

It isn’t understood why some people get hiatal hernias. It is known people over 50 are more prone to hiatal hernia, but you can develop one at any age.

Types Of Gastrointestinal Hernia

There are two types of hiatal hernias. A sliding hiatal hernia is the most common, where the stomach slides up through the hiatus, creating the pouch beneath the esophagus. A paraoesophageal hernia is more troubling. In this type of hernia, part of the stomach squeezes through the hiatus and rests beside your esophagus. Paraoesophageal hernias create an additional risk of having the blood supply to the stomach cut off, which is an emergency.

In both types, common symptoms include:

  • Acid reflux
  • Difficulty swallowing
  • Chest pain
  • Feeling full without consuming much food
  • Shortness of breath
  • Vomiting
  • Persistent coughing or coughing spasms

Trust Your Hiatal Hernia Repair To Dr. Danny Shouhed

It is important that a skilled surgeon corrects your hiatal hernia. Dr. Danny Shouhed specializes in laparoscopic surgery, using only tiny incisions to correct the underlying problem. This reduces surgical risks and offers a much quicker recovery time. If lifestyle changes have provided an unacceptable solution to your hiatal hernia symptoms, contact one of Dr. Shouhed’s California offices today.