Hiatal hernia and EGD

[shriner37 249]

I am five years out from my sleeve. I am going in next week for an EGD as my surgeon suspects my hiatal hernia is blocking my sleeve. I am only able to eat a couple ounces at a time without feeling terribly full.

I read a message here where someone stated their surgeon was able to push the sleeve back into place during their EGD. I have never heard of this before.

Has anyone else heard about hernia symptoms being relieved during an EGD?

[Smanky 747]

It's not something I've heard of, but my hiatal hernia was a large one that needed surgical repair, so perhaps if the hernia is small enough, it can be pushed back down during an EGD? Though I imagine without a surgical fix, the hernia would reoccur over time.

[shriner37 249]

1 hour ago, Smanky said:

It's not something I've heard of, but my hiatal hernia was a large one that needed surgical repair, so perhaps if the hernia is small enough, it can be pushed back down during an EGD? Though I imagine without a surgical fix, the hernia would reoccur over time.

Did your surgeon revise your surgery when they did the hernia repair? Mine said they almost always revise the sleeve to a bypass when they do a hernia repair. I wasn't told why, but am thinking this might prevent recurrence of the hernia in the future, as well as addressing GERD issues that might be more prevalent with the sleeve.

[Smanky 747]

45 minutes ago, shriner37 said:

Did your surgeon revise your surgery when they did the hernia repair? Mine said they almost always revise the sleeve to a bypass when they do a hernia repair. I wasn't told why, but am thinking this might prevent recurrence of the hernia in the future, as well as addressing GERD issues that might be more prevalent with the sleeve.

No, I was always scheduled for a bypass. I was initially advised away from getting a sleeve because of my pre-existing GERD, and I can only assume knowledge of the hernia would have added to that advice.

But my hernia was unknown to me, and so a surprise for my surgeon when he got in there! He repaired it during the bypass operation and told me all about it when he visited me on the ward.

Honestly, I'm not sure how I'd feel if I went in to get a sleeve and woke up with a bypass. The malabsorbtion factor, lifetime on supplements and higher dumping risk were things I had to overcome my anxiety about when my surgeon talked me away from a sleeve.

[catwoman7 11,210]

9 hours ago, Smanky said:

No, I was always scheduled for a bypass. I was initially advised away from getting a sleeve because of my pre-existing GERD, and I can only assume knowledge of the hernia would have added to that advice.

But my hernia was unknown to me, and so a surprise for my surgeon when he got in there! He repaired it during the bypass operation and told me all about it when he visited me on the ward.

Honestly, I'm not sure how I'd feel if I went in to get a sleeve and woke up with a bypass. The malabsorbtion factor, lifetime on supplements and higher dumping risk were things I had to overcome my anxiety about when my surgeon talked me away from a sleeve.

I had to laugh because I had the opposite fear - that I'd go in for my bypass and end up with the sleeve (because they couldn't do the bypass for some reason).

I think most people are totally "into" whichever decision they make, once they've made it, and would be really freaked out if they unexpectedly ended up with the other surgery!

Edited February 4, 2022 by catwoman7