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Umbilical surgery for hernia now, hiatal hernia it seems

Posted , 4 users are following.

Bobby55
Bobby55

Hi. 

After very many years of having a hernia in my naval, likely from lifting heavy items at work, it eventually became strangulated/infected and I had to have surgery for it. I was kept overnight on IV antibiotics before surgery when they decided to try to get the infection under control first. 

The next morning the Infection wasn't any better so the doctor decided to perform the surgery without a mesh (because the mesh would have become infected).That was almost 5 years ago. 

Fast forward about 1.5 to 2 years after the surgery and I started noticing I could feel food in my upper chest area a bit at times. In the past year I had gotten so that I noticed it more and more. Apparently it has slowly progressed when 2 months ago I was trying to eat carefully and suddenly I couldn't couldn't swallow and couldn't hardly breathe and I went to the sink and was gasping for air and trying to drink water some to flush it out. 

The water I was swallowing to try to flush the food down or out was coming back up through my mouth and even my nose. But it was bringing pieces of food with each time and after a scary minute or so of this I managed to get air and slowly the food that was caught in my chest when on down. 

I thought I had gotten too careless eating. However, a couple of weeks after that it happened again. Then the other day it happened again but at least I could breathe this last time, my airway wasn't quite as constricted. I can feel some pressure in my chest when I eat. I've begun losing weight to see if that will help. It seems I also develop gas more often when eating now, so I've started taking a rolaid before eating and gas x after eating. 

It sounds like I have a hiatal hernia that has worsened. I'm wondering if this is a result of the stomach surgey i had.to have. Like I said, this first occurred about 2 years after my surgery and has slowly worsened. I'm trying some exercises I found on the internet about pushing the stomach down to help with hiatal hernias. I'm reluctant to go to the doctor about this and want to try to self helping myself first to see if losing weight (I'm probably about 20 pounds overweight) and dong the stomach push down exercise  wlll make a difference. 

Can a naval stomach surgery possibly create a hiatal hernia?

Does the lack of a mesh increase the chance?

Does losing weight tend to really help a hiatal hernia.

I wonder if I have the sliding kind or the more dangerous rolling kind?

I see folks here talking about having heartburn and acid reflux but rarely say anything about choking. I rarely get heartburn or reflux. Is this a sign I have a very big hernia or a rolling hernia? Sorry for so many questions. 

 

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • Lee1968
    Lee1968 Bobby55

    Posted

    Hi Bobby ,

    Umbilical hernia surgery is highly unlikely to cause a hiatal hernia . If you do have this condition it was probably caused by heavy lifting  as well . Only an endoscopy can confirm this though . I developed mine through years of hard heavy lifting at work .

    As for being sliding or the more serious mixed paraesophageal type , well the latter is quite rare . If you had that type of hiatal hernia you would get a full stomach very quickly , because the top part of the stomach has herniated through the hiatus to form a genuine hernia sac alonside the esophagus . Again my advice is to get an endoscopy , then you'll know . Sorry for no answers - I was in the same situation as yourself a few months back .

     

    • Bobby55
      Bobby55 Lee1968

      Posted

      Hey Lee.

      Did you wind up having surgery? 

    • Lee1968
      Lee1968 Bobby55

      Posted

      Hi Bobby ,

      No I haven't had surgery , I'm still waiting to be assessed by the upper GI surgeon . But self help alone is no substitute for an accurate  diagnosis . Your symptoms are not necessarily indicative of hiatal hernia and could be attributable to other conditions . In cases of symptomatic hiatal hernias , common symptoms are gerd , chest pressure and early satiety . You need to arrange to have an upper endoscopy as choking or problems with swallowing should always be checked out . 

       

  • shirley133
    shirley133 Bobby55

    Posted

    Dear Bobby

    Please go see your doctor, as below no advise but it does sound like this is not something which will disappear with weight loss.  Hernias are very low profile in the media, but as having suffered with incisional hernia and then repair, I know from experience that they are complex and you do need specialist care. 

  • Cass73
    Cass73 Bobby55

    Posted

    Many years ago I complained to my GP about choking sometimes.  he dismissed it.  later called and said he had been looking at my abdominal XRay and it was fine, BUT his eye happened to look up, and I have a little pouch diverticula in my throAt/upper chest area.  I rarely eat a hamburger,as it is a piece of solid meat that Is the worst. Just as you said, the food is there for a few seconds but seems like forever, with pressure, etc and a little water it goes but brings tears to my eyes.  I also have a hiatus h but don't think that is all yr problem.  I tell friends when eating out that I am not choking if it happens but am hurting, will drink some water and will be ok.  Do not need Heimlich maneuver.  Check it out.  I can't be the only one!!!

    I 

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