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Hiatal Hernia Surgery

post #1 of 14
5/11/03 at 3:07am
Thread Starter 
I am having surgery to correct a hiatal hernia and am a little worried about it. Has anyone else had this procedure? How long did it take you to heal?
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post #2 of 14
5/11/03 at 4:10am
My dad had it done about thirty years ago and he's still with us. He took a few weeks to get over it (*relatively* restricted movement rather than crippled with agony before you start worrying!). However, surgery has changed a *lot* in thirty years and I guess things are probably even better these days.
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post #3 of 14
5/19/03 at 12:22pm
Right...it's now done through the laparoscope, much like gallbladder surgery. While formerly, this surgery involved quite a big incision, now it's done with several little "holes"
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post #4 of 14
5/19/03 at 3:52pm
Well, coming from somebody who's had two inguinal hernia repairs, sometimes they still go in the "old-fashioned" way if they think the repair will hold better. Mine were 10 and 8 years ago, but I know that not all hernia surgeries are done laparoscopically. In fact, I was told that mine were going to be done that way, and just as the laparoscope was being wheeled in and I was fading under aenesthesia, the last thing I hear is "... on second thought, we won't be needing that." Wake up with a large incision in my groin instead. Ugh.

But I digress. It really isn't that bad,just don't plan on any heavy lifting for a few weeks. I healed pretty quickly.

One piece of advice: if you know already, make sure you don't get a prescription pain killer that disagrees with you post-op. I had never needed a codiene-based pain killer before this surgery, and it turned out the stuff doesn't like me. Being sick to your stomach after hernia surgery = very, very bad.

After a year I never would have known that I had the surgery except for the scars.
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post #5 of 14
5/19/03 at 4:00pm
Quote:
One piece of advice: if you know already, make sure you don't get a prescription pain killer that disagrees with you post-op. I had never needed a codiene-based pain killer before this surgery, and it turned out the stuff doesn't like me. Being sick to your stomach after hernia surgery = very, very bad.
for you and your surgeon's shoes Funny now, but at the time neither he nor I was amused (he probably still isn't). The same thing happened to me. They told me not to eat for 12 hours prior to surgery and I didn't. It looks like they should have said 13 hours.
Don't worry, its painful for the first day but then its basically just moving really really slow for the first few days. It heals before you know it. Sitting up is the hardest thing to do so just make sure you got what you need before you get in bed to watch all those dvds over the first few days (I wish they had dvd's when I had mine 9 years ago). Good luck.
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post #6 of 14
5/19/03 at 10:50pm
Hello,

Just to be clear, a hiatal hernia is not a simple little bump in your groin or belly-button hernia. It is the protrusion of your stomach (or part of it) above the diaphragm, where your lungs would normally be. It is not a hernia that can be seen or externally felt. I'm no surgeon, but the repair is more complicated than a typical hernia that Jed and Ted likely had. Nevertheless, I would expect it to be laproscopic and would find another surgeon if it was to be done any other way.

Chris Souders
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post #7 of 14
5/20/03 at 1:10am
Ouch, I did not know that. Now I feel bad about being so casual about it but I still hang on my advice not to eat before surgery, the longer the better. I can't stress how helpful it is to have somebody handy also. I was in High School when I had mine so I had my family around to get me stuff which was invaluable. Good luck and I apologize if it appeared I was demeaning your surgery by comparing it to my routine operation, I was not aware.
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post #8 of 14
5/20/03 at 3:35pm
No experience with this but I just wanted say Good Luck! I'm sure you'll be fine(and hey, do you get a few days off work?)
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post #9 of 14
5/20/03 at 6:40pm
As Chris said, there is NO comparison between hiatal hernia repair (technically called a Nissen fundoplication) and an inguinal hernia repair. The old Nissen's...yes, I was around for quite a few of those...were big deals, with quite the large incision. I haven't seen one done that way in several years now.

Inguinal hernias are still often done the old way. I put someone to sleep today for one, as a matter of fact.
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post #10 of 14
5/21/03 at 7:26am
Scott,

I was all set to reply with my experience, but then I realized that I had an inguinal hernia, so it's probably a different experience. Oh, well, I figured I'd share for moral support.

Like others have mentioned, they did mine laproscopically (sp?) so I had only three small incisions instead of one large one. The surgery went quickly, and it was done on an outpatient basis so I was home by that afternoon. At the time, I lived alone so I had to get someone to drive me home. From that point on out, I was on my own, but it wasn't bad. They gave me some pain killers so I slept a lot.... the worst pain initially, believe it or not, was in my shoulder. I was told that when they do these they kind of inflate your abdomen to have better access, and the gas can later rise to the highest point possible (in my case my shoulder). It hurt pretty bad for a couple of days but eventually faded.

I was back at work after a week of rest, walking pretty gingerly to begin with. 5 years later and no problems to date.

Good luck!
-Brett.
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post #11 of 14
5/22/03 at 10:37am
It would be anatomically impossible for the gas to rise to your shoulder, but the concept of referred pain makes pressure from the retained gas (carbon dioxide) on the diaphragm makes it seem like it is pressing on your shoulder.
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post #12 of 14
5/22/03 at 3:37pm
Quote:
Inguinal hernias are still often done the old way. I put someone to sleep today for one, as a matter of fact.

Why?? I was told open hernia repair only requires local + MAC versus a lap that requires Gen. Just curious.

I saw a bunch of Nissen procedures during my rotation often for people with a history of Barrett's Esophagus. The surgeon literally brought part of the stomach from the left behind the esophagus to the right and wrapped over the ventral esophagus. All of the patients I talked to who came in for followup EGD exams stated their symptoms were gone almost immediately and remained so during the 6months to year post.

In terms of interest in observation: Open inguinal hernia>Lap Nissen>Lap Inguinal. Coolest surgical tool: Argon Bovie Lightsaber!!!
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post #13 of 14
5/23/03 at 3:21pm
If the patient is motivated, open inguinal hernia can indeed be done with local/MAC, but most patients (and surgeons) prefer general. So, unless there is some contraindication, I usually just let the patient go to sleep.
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post #14 of 14
6/9/03 at 9:03am
Ok..confused. I have a bump just to the right and above Mr. Happy. What kind of hernia is that?
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