Hiatus hernia 7cms and told it is large.

I had an 8cm hiatus hernia and 80% of my stomach was through into chest which then pressed on heart and lungs, making me breathless. Also the pain from acid reflux was unbearable. Also as my stomach had moved it was pulling up the bowel so I had dreadful diarrhoea symptoms.I had surgery in April and recovery was harsh, felt unwell, no appetite and took weeks to recover but no regrets. I now have no acid reflux at all, back to eating a normal diet. It has been life changing. I am 67.

My DH has just had his hernia repaired aged 82yrs.
Ask for a second opinion.

@ Retro Bowl I understand your concerns, especially at 83 years old, but it's good that you're being closely monitored with endoscopy – I hope your upcoming results are more stable and reassuring.

Thank you All so much.

Hope all goes well.
Thinking of you

Thank you.

The ' not at your age' comment is not acceptable! Please see your GP tell him/ her what was said and ask for a second opinion. Good luck .

Thank you. I was hoping to manage it and wondered if anyone else had had this result. I am 10 stone and am 5ft 2 or 3. I used to be 9stone 4. I am hoping to lose some weight but I am not so agile as I once was due to arthritis. Also before I went for endoscopy I managed symptoms with eating a scotch pancake whenever the pain started. However, once I started on that huge dose of 80 mg for the designated 6 weeks I didn’t use them. Now I am back on 20 mg and my endoscopy is due in a couple of days but this time through my mouth as the first one was through a nostril. Will need a light sedative for this.

If the medics can sort out your distressing symptoms, they may not operate, I think it’s on a case by case basis dependent on the severity of the affect it’s having on your overall health.
For anyone, if surgery is not necessarily the only option, irrespective of age, other routes will be pursued.
A strangulation would be extremely painful, the endoscopy should ascertain any change since the last one, good luck.

Time for a second opinion.

You’re entitled to one.

Well my hernia is judged to be large and when I asked if there was anything tobe done. I was told “well not at your age”.

If you’ve been told you are too old for an operation I would seek a second opinion.

The University of Edinburgh conducted a survey on surgery in giant hiatus hernia in the elderly with a median age of 83. They studied 89 patients and surgery was successful in all but two cases with a median survival rate after the operation of around 75 months. Which when you consider most of them were in their 80s anyway seems ok to me!

However there may be other factors, like heart condition or weight that have led doctors to judge that surgery would not be appropriate for you.

Have they told you that you are too old for surgery?

It may not be relevant but the results for "giant hernia" surgery over age 75 seem to be pretty positive if done the "keyhole" way.
I don't know how this differs from your hernia though.

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8106099/