What is Hiatal Hernia?
What is hiatal hernia? What is hiatal hernia with schatzki’s ring? What is a hiatal hernia? What is hiatal hernias? What is an hiatal hernia? What is a sliding hiatal hernia? What is the main cause of hiatal hernia? What are the Symptoms? What Causes Hiatal Hernia? How is Hiatal Hernia Surgery Performed? What does Hiatal Hernia mean? What are the Symptoms of Hiatal Hernia? What is the Treatment for Hiatal Hernia? In our detailed content addressing these questions, you can learn the essential information about hiatal hernia, and for more information, early and accurate diagnosis, as well as effective and modern treatment, you can consult our clinic.
What is a Hiatal Hernia?
What is a hiatal hernia? What is a hiatal hernia and where is it located? The sagging of the stomach towards the esophagus is referred to as ‘hiatal hernia.’ This condition arises due to the weakening of the muscles located at the intersection of the stomach and the diaphragm, where the esophagus passes through. Normally, this junction should be at the level of the diaphragm. When the stomach starts to shift towards the chest cavity due to deformation and tearing from its original position in the abdominal cavity, hiatal hernia occurs. The direction of this displacement is usually to the left, causing patients to often suspect heart problems. Hiatal hernia surgery is performed for diagnosed treatments.
Recommended Content: Hiatal Hernia Surgery Turkey
What is Hiatal Hernia With Schatzki’s Ring?
What is hiatal hernia with schatzki’s ring? A hiatal hernia is a condition where the upper part of the stomach bulges through an opening in the diaphragm that separates the abdomen and the chest. A Schatzki’s ring is a narrow band of tissue that forms at the lower end of the esophagus, the tube that connects the mouth and the stomach. A hiatal hernia with Schatzki’s ring is a combination of these two conditions, where the herniated stomach pushes against the ring and causes difficulty in swallowing, chest pain, heartburn, regurgitation, and sometimes vomiting.
The exact cause of hiatal hernia with Schatzki’s ring is not known, but some factors that may increase the risk are age, obesity, smoking, chronic coughing, straining during bowel movements, pregnancy, and previous abdominal surgery.
The diagnosis of hiatal hernia with Schatzki’s ring is usually made by an upper endoscopy, a procedure where a thin, flexible tube with a camera and a light is inserted through the mouth and into the esophagus and stomach. The endoscope can visualize the hernia and the ring, and also take tissue samples for biopsy if needed. Other tests that may be done are barium swallow, a test where the patient swallows a liquid that coats the esophagus and stomach and shows up on X-rays, and esophageal manometry, a test that measures the pressure and movement of the esophagus.
The treatment of hiatal hernia with Schatzki’s ring depends on the severity of the symptoms and the size of the hernia and the ring. Some lifestyle changes that may help are losing weight, quitting smoking, avoiding spicy and acidic foods, eating smaller and more frequent meals, raising the head of the bed, and avoiding lying down after eating. Some medications that may help are antacids, H2 blockers, and proton pump inhibitors, which reduce the acid production in the stomach and relieve the heartburn and pain. Some procedures that may help are dilation, where a balloon or a bougie is inserted through the endoscope and inflated to stretch the ring and make it wider, and surgery, where the hernia is repaired and the ring is removed or cut. Surgery is usually reserved for cases where the symptoms are severe and do not respond to other treatments, or where there are complications such as bleeding, ulceration, or obstruction.
Hiatal hernia with Schatzki’s ring is a condition that can affect the quality of life and cause discomfort and complications. However, with proper diagnosis and treatment, most patients can manage their symptoms and prevent further damage to their esophagus and stomach.
Recommended Content: When does a hiatal hernia require surgery?
Causes of Hiatal Hernia
What is a common cause of hiatal hernia? Frequent vomiting and chronic stress can trigger the formation of hiatal hernia. Additionally, the following factors can contribute to the development of hiatal hernia:
1 Lifting heavy weights
2. Obesity
3. Excessive bowel movements
4. Pregnancy
Why Does Hiatal Hernia Occur?
What is a sliding hiatal hernia? What is the main cause of hiatal hernia? What happens if hiatal hernia surgery is not performed? Why does hiatal hernia occur? Hiatal hernia occurs when a part of the stomach slides or protrudes towards the esophagus from the diaphragm. The answer to why hiatal hernia occurs is related to the weakening or stretching of the stomach muscles. Factors such as aging, excessive weight, pregnancy, excessive coughing, or frequent heavy lifting can affect and weaken stomach muscles. In this case, the pressure inside the stomach increases, and the stomach tissue is pushed towards the chest cavity.
The cause of the development of hiatal hernia is the weakening of the diaphragm. Factors such as constant constipation due to irregular nutrition or obesity, age-related muscle weakness or sagging, injuries in the region, age-related changes in the diaphragm, genetic factors, nerve and stress factors, and smoking can trigger hiatal hernia. Additionally, situations such as pregnancy or heavy work can also lead to hiatal hernia. Hiatal hernia can occur at any age but is more commonly observed in individuals over 50 years old.
Symptoms of Hiatal Hernia
What are the symptoms of hiatal hernia? The regurgitation of food into the mouth after eating is the most common symptom of hiatal hernia. This condition leads to the formation of reflux, with approximately 40-50% of reflux cases being associated with hiatal hernia.
Other symptoms of hiatal hernia include:
1. Cough
2. Sour water coming into the mouth
3. Gas
4. Pain, pressure, and burning sensation in the lower chest
5. Loss of appetite due to a decrease in abdominal volume
6. Acid regurgitation
Hiatal hernia, the displacement or protrusion of a part of the stomach towards the esophagus, can have varying symptoms depending on the size, type, and location of the hernia. While some hiatal hernias may not show any symptoms, others can cause the following:
1. Pain or burning sensation in the chest or abdomen
2. Acid reflux after eating or lying down
3. Regurgitation of stomach acid or food into the mouth
4. Bitter taste or odor in the mouth
5. Difficulty or pain while swallowing
6. Hoarseness, cough, or throat pain
7. Shortness of breath or respiratory problems
The symptoms of hiatal hernia can worsen after eating, bending, straining, lifting heavy objects, or in stressful situations. These symptoms may be attributed to the development of reflux disease due to hiatal hernia. Reflux disease is the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus, irritating it. Reflux disease is observed in approximately half of the patients with hiatal hernia.
It is important for individuals experiencing symptoms of hiatal hernia to consult a doctor, undergo necessary tests, and receive proper treatment. If left untreated, hiatal hernia can lead to serious complications such as inflammation, ulcers, bleeding, narrowing, or cancer in the esophagus.
Treatment of Hiatal Hernia
What is the treatment for a hiatal hernia? What is hiatal hernia surgery? What is the fastest way to cure a hiatal hernia? How is hiatal hernia treatment performed? While answering the question “What is hiatal hernia?” earlier, we defined this condition as the sliding of the stomach into the chest cavity. Since this situation is an anatomical disorder, its treatment can only be done through surgical methods. This operation is known in medical literature as ‘laparoscopic hiatal hernia.’ Especially if at least one-third of the stomach has shifted upwards, surgical intervention is the only solution.
However, not all hiatal hernias require surgery. At this point, the patient’s symptoms, the deformation of the esophagus, and the degree of hernia are important. If the patient’s symptoms are very mild or nonexistent, or if hiatal hernia does not significantly affect the quality of life, the doctor may not recommend surgery. Patients in such cases should undergo symptomatic treatment (medication) and regular follow-up. Proton pump inhibitors, which reduce the production of stomach acid, are commonly used in this treatment.
Recommended Content: How is hiatal hernia surgery done?
How is Hiatal Hernia Surgery Performed?
How is hiatal hernia surgery performed? This operation, generally performed using the laparoscopic method, involves increasing the internal volume of the abdomen by inflating it. Although open surgery is also an option, it is not very common. The closed surgery method can be safely used for hernias of all degrees. Complication risks such as bleeding and pain are very low. While the preference for open surgery is possible, it is not very common.
If the closed surgery method is to be applied, the process generally consists of the following stages:
1. The position and size of the hiatal hernia are visualized with the help of endoscopy.
2. This image is projected onto a camera and enters the abdominal region through several holes with tools called trocars.
3. A patch is placed on the tear that occurred, and the stomach is placed in its proper position in the abdominal cavity. Synthetic patches can be placed in the area to prevent the recurrence of the hernia.
4. At this stage, the control of the esophagus is also performed. Stitches are made in the diaphragm muscle, narrowing the area.
5. After the operation, complaints such as gas problems and abdominal pain may be encountered. The occurrence of blood pressure problems is also possible. However, these can be described as rarely observed side effects.
If you suspect that you have such a condition, such as hiatal hernia, what is it? Why does it occur? How to get rid of hiatal hernia? For more comprehensive answers to your questions, you can schedule an appointment right away.