Hiatal hernia & sleeve surgery. It's GOT to hurt worse?!

[Aginn10 82]

I asked yesterday how bad did the sleeve REALLY hurt and got great answers. I forgot to mention I have to have a hiatal hernia repaired. Bound to be a game changer?!

[sleevedshereen 526]

I had a hiatal hernia repair along with my gastric sleeve surgery. After the first 3 weeks I was good. I would say fully back to myself after 4-5 weeks. Pain was bad for me the first week and each week got better.

Edited September 6, 2017 by sleevedshereen

[LittleLizzieLilliput 919]

Here's the thing, it's going to hurt. Whether lot or a little none of us will know. I had the vertical gastric sleeve hiatal hernia and gallbladder removal. It hurt, a lot. Had morphine in the hospital and heavy narcotics at home.

Let me ask you this, when you hurt yourself do you feel like you experience a lot of pain or can you withstand the pain pretty well? Because really it's more about how you handle the pain not how we handled our pain. So if you ever broken ankle or falling really bad or done something to have a lot of pain? If so, how did it go? Did you suffer a lot? Were you able to recover from it pretty quickly and just take over-the-counter pain meds or did you have to use Vicodin or something like that?

[Aginn10 82]

For pain not if this severe in nature Vicodin. But Vicodin isn't gonna put a dent in what I can only imagine compares to a Csection.

[LittleLizzieLilliput 919]

Hmmm, I have no idea if this pain will be on par with the C-section. Is there something else that we can tell you, or some information that you need to help you be more comfortable with this? Because results are different for each person there's no way to really know what kind of pain you're gonna be in.

Edited September 6, 2017 by LittleLizzieLilliput

[Allie589 171]

I had both too. My hernia was massive-I had no idea! I thought the constant chest pains and tightness of breath was bc I was fat. Omg, guess I was wrong. I had a twin pregnancy go to full term with 7lb 5 ounce babies so I think that had something to do with it! According to UNC medical school website, the hiatal hernia repair healing period is about 6-8 weeks and sound just like our sleeve healing repair period. We may experience a little more tightness bc the esophagus is swollen. My surgeon said I may have more soreness bc of the repair but should be all good by 6-8 weeks out. Here's hoping! I'm 4 weeks out .


5'7 Sleeved 8/7 HW: 256 SW: 248
CW: 235 At 2 week post op GW: 150

[Mhy12784 423]

While I cant say first hand (yet) , I doubt the hiatal hernia repair is going to make a substantial difference post op, unless maybe your hiatal hernia was extremely bad (which isnt most people). The hiatal hernia is usually one or two sutures and thats it, nothing crazy. Very insignificant in the scheme of things.

Most post op pain is related to the incision sites (which the hiatal hernia has no impact on as it doesnt involve more trocars or larger trocars) or gas/bloating and of course the significant stapling and dividing of the stomach.

Purely speculating here but I would wager if they did a study on post operative pain on Sleeve patients vs Sleeve patients with a Hiatal Hernia that their would be absolutely no difference whatsoever between the two groups (except maybe if the Hiatal Hernia is a paraesophagael hiatial hernia which is rare and you would know about)

[rainyann 118]

I has a sleeve, hiatal hernia and gall bladder removal at the same time.... I took morphine once in the recovery room right after the surgery then no more... I only had IV Tylenol and Tylenol by mouth once I got home. Did it hurt? Sure but it was more like I did 1000 sit ups. It was not unbearable. I was back to work in 3 weeks but probably could have gone after two. Everyone experiences pain differently

[Mhy12784 423]

1 hour ago, Allie589 said:

I had both too. My hernia was massive-I had no idea! I thought the constant chest pains and tightness of breath was bc I was fat. Omg, guess I was wrong. I had a twin pregnancy go to full term with 7lb 5 ounce babies so I think that had something to do with it! According to UNC medical school website, the hiatal hernia repair healing period is about 6-8 weeks and sound just like our sleeve healing repair period. We may experience a little more tightness bc the esophagus is swollen. My surgeon said I may have more soreness bc of the repair but should be all good by 6-8 weeks out. Here's hoping! I'm 4 weeks out .


5'7 Sleeved 8/7 HW: 256 SW: 248
CW: 235 At 2 week post op GW: 150

Just want to point out that the UNC med school website doesnt exactly address the same thing as a hiatal hernia with a sleeve. One these people are having hiatal hernias repaired specifically so they are usually worse (even in the article it mentions paraesophageal hiatal hernia repairs) and they are typically paired with a Nissen Fundoplication which really is a large part if not the bulk of the procedure. And again a lot of the pain comes from the trocars/incision sites as well.

Many of the people with bariatric surgery (especially sleeves) are just having them repaired as to prevent them from getting GERD due to the surgery itself or having GERD worsen itself. So a lot of these people have very small ones or none at all

[jess9395 5,450]

Nah, I had a hiatal hernia done too and didn't even know it until they told me the next day.

My C section was WAY worse!!!

[Fatgirl56 35]

I had VSG and HH repair. The repair was worse than the sleeve. It made it difficult/uncomfortable to swallow. Dr said it would get better and now 3+weeks post op it did. I never had any real pain from the surgery and didn't need any pain mess.

[Seamehyde 29]

I had both done. I did not have any pain whatsoever. My only pain was the soreness from the abdomen muscles that were cut. My only pain meds were what they gave in the hospital. I did use the hydrocodone at night but, that was basically only to be able to sleep. My only problem is at 5 weeks out, I still don't have my full voice back. I developed a h-pylori infection in my stomach which involved taking an absolutely nasty antibiotic that made it impossible to eat or drink ( I feared dehydration, but made it through on about 20-30 oz a day w/powdered Protein in Soups an SF popsicles. Protein Shakes or Protein Water in any form would not go down or stay down. At five weeks, I'm good and energy has increased each day. I've been able to complete 3 full days of school, homework, cooking meals, and clean-up. I've lost 27lbs. but been in a stall for a week now. Not worried, just happy to be able to consume food and drink again. I've had no trouble with any food. This week, I have tried chicken, eggs, sausage, ham, cheese, fish, bacon-wrapped scallops, inside of steak fries and tator tots, green Beans, and chopped nuts. No matter what......it does get better.....good luck!

[Fatgirl56 35]

I can't imagine being able to eat real food, lol! I took a bite of the chicken left over when I strained some Soup but felt like it was stuck in my throats after chewing it for 5 mins......

[guestnurse 5]

I had VSG and HH repair. The repair was worse than the sleeve. It made it difficult/uncomfortable to swallow. Dr said it would get better and now 3+weeks post op it did. I never had any real pain from the surgery and didn't need any pain mess.

I also had large hiatial hernia repair with my sleeve. Swallowing has been awful. Dr said much worse than just having the sleeve.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using BariatricPal mobile app

[Allie589 171]

Yeah, that's where I struggle too, the swallowing and tightness and then being scared to sip Water when eating. I'm almost 5 weeks out and am hoping the swelling in the esophagus will go down in the next couple weeks. My friend who had the sleeve but no hernia repair isn't having the same difficulties I am with the swallowing.


5'7 Sleeved 8/7 HW: 256 SW: 248
CW: 235 At 2 week post op GW: 150