I have a hiatal hernia that gives me all kinds of grief from a panic feeling, PVC's, gas, beltching, and burping up food. The panic and PVC's are the 2 worst symptoms. Anyway, I have noticed that a lot of folks that have gotten the lap band surgery also had a hiatal hernia repaired in the process. My questions to you folks are:

1. Did the surgeon perform the Nissen Fundopliction surgery for the hernia repair? (this is where they fix the hole in the diaphram and wrap the fundus of the stomach around the esophagus and sew it back to itself). Or did they just pull the stomach out of the hernia and sew up the hole?

2. How was recovery of the hernia portion of the surgery?(if you able to differ between the two).

3. How is your acid reflux now(if you had it before)?

4. Would you do it again?

I don't need lap band surgery but i do need this hiatal hernia fixed. The catch is that i'm not too thrilled about having my stomach wrapped around my esophagus the rest of my life. I was hoping to find a surgeon that would just repair the diaphram and not wrap my stomach. I take nexium every day which controls the acid burn but not the other disturbing symptoms. It is starting to control my life and i'm ready for a fix. Thanks in advance!

Edited October 28, 200817 yr by bacchus

I've never heard of anyone going in for a band and a HH repair and getting a NF. I've only heard of one person (from another board) that couldn't get a band at all because they have to heal from the hernia repair but to be honest, their doc isn't the best either. I'm sure in that case it was more his skill level than actually necessary to wait before banding.

The thing about NF is that usually most docs won't band you if you have an NF, it's too risky.

That is good to know. Hopefully I can find a surgeon who will just fix the hernia.

I have been doing research on this and found this post, and maybe someone new can weigh in on this (no pun intended). I woke up from surgery (4 weeks ago) and was told they repaired a very large hiatal hernia (never knew I had one). So I have been wondering exactly how it was repaired. (my surgery was in Mexico)

The NF technique is talked about a lot, but I don't see how you could wrap the stomach AND place a band effectively, so I am guessing they just stitched up the loose opening. But I keep wondering if those stitches can open up again and then what? Wouldn't my new little pouch end up being the part that goes through again?

I have my first follow-up appointment with a local bariatric surgeon who has agreed to do my fills next week, so I guess I will be asking.

They probably just stitched it up. Just like any other area on your body that is stitched, the stitches are only temporary to hold the tissue together while it heals shut. Could you get another hiatial hernia? Yes, there are no guarantees that you won't but hernias are common in overweight people so hernia repair during Lap Band surgery is fairly common. I and many people have had both surgeries toghether and all I can say is that 2.5 years later I am doing fine.

Just had my follow up with my US doctor. He said they would have just stitched it up. You cannot do the NF repair and then place a band. He said if someone had an NF repair eariler, they would have to undo the "wrap" to place the band. He said the greatest danger to affecting the repair over time is from not taking care of your band - as in overeating and stretching out the stoma, which will add presure to the diaphragm. I had been worried about physical activity or even going to the bathroom causing problems, and he said not to worry about that at all.

When he looked at my post-op xray, he said he saw no evidence of mesh repair, so he was even more sure it was just a stitch up repair. Thankfully he also said I had a good band placement.