Hernias ?

[MUA 18]

I've noticed many sleevers end up needing a hernia repair as well during surgery. Does anyone know why this is? How did you not know you had one before getting sleeved or during any pre op testing?

[AvaFern 3,516]

I had a hiatal hernia repair and I had no idea that I had one until I found out they fixed it after surgery. I had started getting heartburn a few months before surgery, which is supposedly a symptom of this kind of hernia, but otherwise I had no clue. It's an easy fix while they're in there and I haven't had heartburn since. I've read that it can be caused by obesity, pregnancy, or other situations where you have more pressure than usual on the abdomen, but it can be idiopathic as well.

[Eclectick 129]

I have severe acid reflux, so the Dr. did a scope prior to surgery and sure enough I have a Hiatal Hernia, As Avafern said, it is caused by obesity and other abdomen issues..including the food you eat and how fast you eat..all kinds of stuff.

He will be removing that during surgery on the 24th and said is should subside in a month or so.

[mick 99]

I had acid reflux ever since my heart surgery and my surgeon fixed it when he did my sleeve. He said he would check and see if I had a Hiatal Hernia and I did.

[maxcimax 220]

I also had a hiatal hernia but I knew it before surgery. My surgeon fixed the hernia & I haven't had any problems. Acid reflux wasn't an issue but the hernia was so big it was pushing up against my lungs & aggravating an already existing oxygen issue. I'm still on oxygen 24/7 but I breathe better. That's a plus!!

[CheleLynn45 615]

I have a ventral hernia which could not be fixed during surgery.

It is on the lower right hand side of my abdomen and it is more pronounced certain times of the month where you can actually feel it. With the sac and everything it feels about the size of a softball. Mine stems from a previous surgery I had in 1997 to remove three tumors from my abdomen. This surgery was not done lapriscopic (sp) and needed 52 staples to close the incision. That weakened my abdominal wall and that is where the hernia came from.

The ventral hernia is the reason my surgeon recommended the sleeve surgery to begin with. They didn't want to operate on the hernia at my weight because it is a very hard surgery to go thru they said and at my weight there was high chance of it coming back. So they suggested sleeve surgery to get the weight off first then at 6-8 months out we will see how things are and they will operate on my hernia.

I was soooooo hoping to wake up with Herman (what we call my hernia LOL) So I will get this weight off and then get rid of Herman!!

[CocoPebbles1030 59]

My doctor says it's for the best in the long run. He also said in about 5 years it will standard procedure to repair the hernia during all bariatric surgeries.