ABSTRACT
Large hiatal hernias are notorious for their high recurrence rates after conventional repair. Recurrence rates have been described to be higher in obese patients due to increased intra-abdominal pressure. We hypothesized that patients who undergo hiatal hernia repair (HHR) with bariatric surgery (BAR) will have a lower hernia recurrence rate when compared to patients who undergo HHR with fundoplication (FP) due to the decrease in intra-abdominal pressure observed with weight loss. This was an Institutional Review Board approved retrospective review. The outcomes of patients who underwent HHR+BAR as well as patients who had HHR+FP only from 2007 to 2014 were reviewed. Patients who had small hiatal hernias (<2 cm), underwent an anterior repair, or had gastropexy only were excluded. The primary outcome was hernia recurrence and reflux resolution. The outcomes of 58 patients who had HHR+BAR were compared with 30 patients with HHR+FP. Hernia recurrence rate for HHR+BAR was 12 per cent, whereas hernia recurrence rate for HHR+FP was 38 per cent (P < 0.01). Reflux resolution for HHR+FP was 78 per cent, whereas reflux improvement rate for HHR+BAR was 84 per cent (P = n.s.). Combining HHR with BAR leads to a lower hernia recurrence rate when compared to patients who undergo HHR with FP.
