Surgical Procedures
Hiatal hernia
A hiatal hernia is a hernia created by a weakness in the muscular diaphragm. The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity and tightens with every breath. There is a hole in the diaphragm called a hiatus through which the esophagus travels. The esophagus is like a pipe that transports food from the mouth to the stomach. When the diaphragm around the hiatus weakens, it can cause the hole to stretch until unwanted tissue bulges up into the chest. In some hiatal hernia cases, part of the stomach may bulge up into the chest.
Hiatal hernias can be very large, but these are somewhat uncommon. Small hiatal hernias are usually treated in conjunction with acid reflux surgery. Dr. Beutel will make the appropriate diagnosis for each situation.
