So many people are saying they will be having a hernia repaired during their surgery or that they've had hernia surgery at one time or another...why is this hernia thing so common? Could I possibly have a hernia too an not realize it? *semi hypochondriac*

Hiatal hernias are very common and often go undiagnosed. Acid reflux or chronic heartburn is a common symptom, and some doctors just treat with RX meds, and neglect to dig deeper into the cause.

And, yes, hiatal hernias are extremely common among the obese population. I personally didn't have one, but they are common. If you have an upper GI performed as part of your pre-op requirements, it should be diagnosed before VSG and can be repaired simultaneously.

*bends and curtsies*

Why thank you Tiffykins! I had no idea they were so common until this forum. Every other person mentions it in their post, so I was just wondering.

Hiatal hernias are very common and often go undiagnosed. Acid reflux or chronic heartburn is a common symptom, and some doctors just treat with RX meds, and neglect to dig deeper into the cause.

And, yes, hiatal hernias are extremely common among the obese population. I personally didn't have one, but they are common. If you have an upper GI performed as part of your pre-op requirements, it should be diagnosed before VSG and can be repaired simultaneously.

i actually had an upper endoscopy and was diagnosed with a LARGE hernia. made to have an upper gi to see further. then when i had my surgery, i asked if it was repaired and my surgeon said I did not have one! LOL

How weird is that??? He said it looked and looked and could not find one! LOL

Kelly

*bends and curtsies*

Why thank you Tiffykins! I had no idea they were so common until this forum. Every other person mentions it in their post, so I was just wondering.

I read somewhere as high as 85% of obese folks have a hiatal hernia. So pretty common for wls candidates to have one.

So if I have one, will they see it when I have my endoscopy?

Duh, that's what an upper GI is huh? Sorry, no need for a response on that last question. I suffer from dingbat syndrome from time to time.

So if I have one, will they see it when I have my endoscopy?

When I went for my first surgeon visit he asked if I often had heartburn. I told him yes and that I was using Tums on a pretty regular basis. He immediately scheduled an Endoscopy and found the hernia. Interestingly in the 6 weeks between the Endoscopy and the WLS my symptoms actually got much worse. It was clear to my work colleagues that something was seriously wrong with my stomach which made the "hernia excuse" for surgery very believable. About two weeks before surgery I started on Priliosec which I have taken daily since (Now am 9 weeks post-op). After the repair, I have had zero issues with acid.

After surgery I did have some pain in my abdomen particularly when coughing or getting up from a chair or a bed. I was told that was probably more from the hernia repair than from the weight loss surgery.

I had a "significant" one repaired during my sleeve surgery and never knew I had one. I experienced no symptoms at all............

So many people are saying they will be having a hernia repaired during their surgery or that they've had hernia surgery at one time or another...why is this hernia thing so common? Could I possibly have a hernia too an not realize it? *semi hypochondriac*

That's so wild, when I was having my info session with my surgeon, she asked about my hernia. I said "What hernia?" She said , "the one that shows up in your x-ray." I was surprised. she said that when she goes in for the surgery, she'll fix the hernia at the same time. She also said it was probably why I've been having brutal stabbing pain sometimes when I eat. It was so bad I thought I was having a heart attack and went to the ER. The hospital did a very complete set of test, stress test, scans, etc. and it was definately NOT a heart attack -- TG! I don't think there's a connection though.

Hernias are common in the obese because we are packed full of abdominal fat. The fat causes the pressure in the abdomen to rise (or in some obese people, there is just so much fat that organs are displaced upward) and the pressure pushes the stomach upward through the hole in the diaphragm where your esophagus goes. I did not have frequent heartburn as a symptom, but did burp frequently. My surgeon said the burping was a symptom of the hernia. He fixed mine during the sleeve surgery, too.

I had an undiagnosed hiatal hernia that was repaired at the same time as my VS. I had no symptoms. My Dr. asked my husband if I snored (I do) and he said I would snore less now that it was repaired. It added about an hour to my surgery time. I wouldn't worry if I were you. They will fix it if they find one. I considered it a two-fer!

Lynda

I didn't have a hernia so I guess I was one of the lucky ones. Most all surgeons repair it if they find one while performing surgery.

I also didn't have one, but didn't know what it was or how common it was. I was half out of it when my surgeon dropped by my hospital room, and, among other things, told me I didn't have a hernia. I was like, huh...? What hernia?? LOL. I only really learned about them after my surgery. I have dingbat syndrome too.

I just googled (images) "hernia" to get a little more insight. Yikes. Double yikes.