A Hiatus Hernia is a sac containing abdominal organs (most commonly part of the stomach) protruding from the abdomen up into the chest.
The principles of repairing a hiatus hernia are to return the contents of the hernia back into the abdomen, and then to dissect and remove the sac to prevent the problem from recurring. Usually an anti reflux surgery is performed in conjunction with this operation to bolster the repair and prevent the development of reflux symptoms (which is more common in patients with this problem).
This operation is performed with key hole surgery and only very infrequently requires a large incision for completion.
