Can You Have Lap Band Surgery With a Hiatal Hernia?
Lap band surgery is a procedure in which a silicone band is placed around the patient's stomach to limit the amount he can eat. This helps the patient lose weight.
Hiatal Hernia
Hiatal hernias occur when the stomach bulges above the diaphragm. Small hiatal hernias usually cause no symptoms, but large hiatal hernias may cause heartburn, nausea and chest pain.
Prevalence
According to EMedicineHealth.com, hiatal hernias are fairly common. By age 60, up to 60 percent of all people have had one, though many hernias are small and asymptomatic.
Obesity
Hiatal hernias are more common in obese people than in the general population. Therefore, a number of patients seeking lap band surgery have hiatal hernias.
Treatment
If a hiatal hernia causes heartburn, doctors often prescribe medication to treat it. However, hiatal hernias can also be corrected with surgery. If a person is having surgery to place a lap band, the surgeon can fix the hernia at the same time.
Lap Band Surgery
If patient has a hiatal hernia that must be repaired during lap band surgery, the operation will take a bit longer than usual. The hiatal hernia will not prevent the patient from getting a lap band, however.
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