2nd Hiatal Hernia Repair... Gastro or Bariatric Surgeon ?
I had a large hiatal hernia repaired with my VSG in May 2015. I reached my goal range in January 2016, and am working to make peace with maintenance. I recently began to have major reflux and swallowing issues, with some intermittent vomiting. I saw my gastro to prepare for my routine colonoscopy, and he ordered an upper GI and an endoscopy next week, with my colonoscopy.
The upper GI showed a 5 cm hiatal hernia. My first repair resulted in some complications. I was unable to swallow anything, even saliva, for four weeks and ended up with a PICC line which caused a DVT along the line.
I'm thinking that my gastric surgeon may be more skilled at the hernia repair, but I'm apprehensive that the results of the endoscopy may come with a recommendation for revision to DS or RNY. I am not happy with my first hernia repair experience, although it may have had nothing to do with the surgeon. Thoughts as to type of surgeon for just the hernia repair, if that is the direction I go?
Age: 64; 5' 5"; High weight: 345; Start weight: 271 (01/05/15); Surgery weight: 218 (05/27/15); Pre-Op (-53); M 1 (-18); M 2 (-1.5); M 3 (-13.5 ); M 4 (-13); M 5 (- 8); M 6 (-12) M 7 (-5, Xmas); M 8 (- 9) Under surgeon's goal and REACHED HEALTHY BMI 12/07/15!! (Six months and one week.) AT GOAL month 8. Maintaining at goal range (139- 144) ~ four (4) years !!
Go with the doc that YOU feel the most comfortable with. If you had bad experience with the first one - I would not chose that one again. Just the stress from past experience can cause anxiety and slower healing.
Plus docs who perform a lot of hernia surgeries and are good at the over you a good choice that it will be done right and last long term.
Hala. RNY 5/14/2008; Happy At Goal =HAG
"I can eat or do anything I want to - as long as I am willing to deal with the consequences"
"Failure is not falling down, It is not getting up once you fell... So pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again...."
I too had a hiatel hernia repaired during the sleeve surgery. A few years later, another large hiatel hernia. I went to a gastro doc to get it diagnosed, but when we discussed who should do the surgery he was 100% supportive of my bariatric guy doing both that and taking out the bum gallbladder. (My bariatric guy is an internist.) So far so good. He did tell me that if it is an issue again, I am looking at a revision to rny. He also said it was a lot higher risk due to being the second time. Try to find a bariatric guy who has done 2nd repairs like this if possible. Here is hoping it holds. :)
Surgeon: Chengelis Surgery on 12/19/2011 A little less carb eating compared to my weight loss phase loose sleever here!
1Mo: -21 2Mo: -16 3Mo: -12 4MO - 13 5MO: -11 6MO: -10 7MO: -10.3 8MO: -6 Goal in 8 months 4 days!! 6' 2'' EWL 103% Starting size 28 or 4x (tight) now size 12 or large, shoe size 12 w to 10.5 150+ pounds lost
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Hi. If you are still reading this forum, do you mind if I ask how you are doing since you had your 2nd hiatal hernia repair? I am probably going to end up needing a hiatal hernia repair myself and it seems really hard to find people who have had hiatal hernia repairs after they had the VSG. It seems like there are a ton of people who have it repaired at the time of the initial surgery but little info on what outcomes are for those who develop them later on.
Hi. I know this is an old post, but if you are still here: can I ask, what did you end up deciding to do about your hiatal hernia? I am a post-VSG patient who now has a hiatal hernia and I am trying to find out as much as I can about what my options are. I am like you in that I am worried I will be told that I need to do yet another bariatric surgery to fix this. That really is not what I want, so I want to know if it is possible to fix this without resorting to that.
