Anyone have the hiatal hernia repair with gastric bypass?

[PaperFlowers 1]

Hi all. I am very pre-op, but I am planning to have hiatal hernia repair done at the same time as the bariatric surgery. It will be months before I have a chance to meet with a surgeon and I'm not finding great information beyond the surgery taking a little bit longer and potentially some additional discomfort post-op.

Has anyone had this combo and how do you think recovery and post-op life differed compared to those who just had the weight loss surgery?

[toodlerue 451]

I had hiatal hernia repair done at the same time. I don’t think my recovery was any different because of that.

[RaiderRhode 36]

I had this Feb 13! While I was in recovery the surgeon came out and warned my husband that I would be quite sore on my left side due to it. While I had additional soreness, it was tolerable and I was sent home with typical non-narcotic pain meds and tylenol. In my opinion the tylenol helped significantly more than anything else so stock up on the liquid stuff if you can because grinding the tablets up and drinking it down with a little Water is so gross.

My incisions were all painless, except my side was quite tender for some time. Even now, when I bend certain ways or lay funny, it can be a little tender.

[TheDance3121 1]

Yes, mine was just this past Monday. Like RaiderRhode, we were advised that my right side would be angrier than my left for a while. My understanding is that the hernia repair extended the surgery by about 30 mins and closing the area where it popped through took a stitch or two which makes swallowing a tiny bit uncomfortable, but it's getting easier. I think the part that nobody prepares you for is the trapped air in your abdomen immediately after surgery 😭. That was pretty miserable 😒. Other than that, a okay 😁

[Teresa Eschenbaum 35]

I had hiatal hernia repair during my bypass surgery. I had it done February 7th. I have had very little pain and not having any reflux has been amazing! I haven't felt this good in 6 to 7 years!
Good luck to you!

[Smanky 746]

Yep, I had a hiatal hernia repair with my bypass. It was unexpected - I had no idea I had one (but in hindsight it explained a lot!) and neither did my surgeon until he got in there. My hernia was a large one, and had been forming for a long, long time apparently 😬. I honestly felt like I'd been hit by a truck for a good two weeks after surgery. My incisions were fine, but my insides took time to settle down. I slept with a pillow protecting my abdomen for a while. Pain medication kept it manageable, though.

Once healed it was all smooth sailing though. Just gotta weather those first weeks while you're healing.

[tx2az 54]

Sleeved on 9-1-22 and hernia repair. Everything went great. Trapped air in the abdomen is not fun and can press on your heart. Walk as much as they will allow. I didn't even have to take any pain meds. Best wishes!

[PaperFlowers 1]

Thank you everyone. This helps put my mind at ease, at least that it will likely only be a little bit more discomfort and might make it a little harder to swallow.

I keep hearing about the trapped air and it does sound miserable. I'm hoping to learn and practice a bit of deep breathing and maybe meditation to help make it through any tough times after the surgery as I can get very high anxiety but just in specific circumstances (like in a CT machine, deadlocked in traffic, etc.).

I am actually looking forward to getting rid of the reflux and indigestion, possibly more than the weight loss!

[Smanky 746]

13 hours ago, PaperFlowers said:

I keep hearing about the trapped air and it does sound miserable.

This is one of those wildly variable things depending on your surgeon. I didn't have a lot of trapped gas post-op, but others have more or less. All you do is walk it off, soon as you're able. I did slow laps around my ward and it very quickly resolved. So take this one as it comes - you may not get any at all!