| Now it's time to talk about the actual procedure your doctor has recommended for you.
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On the day of your operation, |
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you will be asked to put on a surgical gown. |
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You may receive a sedative by mouth |
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and an intravenous line may be put in. |
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You will then be transferred to the operating table. |
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In the operating room, a nurse will begin preparation by clipping or shaving the abdomen. |
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The anesthesiologist will begin to administer anesthesia, most probably general anesthesia by injection and/or inhalation mask |
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The surgeon will then apply antiseptic solution to the skin ... |
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and place a sterile drape around the operative site. |
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After you're asleep, |
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the surgical team will make a mid line incision, from the breastbone to the navel. |
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Opening this incision reveals tissues that connect the abdominal muscles. |
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Another incision is made through these tissues ... |
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to allow access to the abdominal cavity. |
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Your surgeon will use a special oval ring to hold the incision open during the operation. |
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First, the surgeon gently lifts the liver up and away from the stomach. The surgical team can now see the place where the esophagus and stomach join. |
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Then, the surgeon cuts away the tissue that connects the liver and the stomach. This gives your doctor better access to the diaphragm and the esophagus. |
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Next, the surgeon pulls the esophagus upward ... |
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and closes the hiatus with sutures. |
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Your doctor may insert a rubber tube in your esophagus to keep the sutures from tightening too much around your airway. |
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Some hiatal hernias can cause persistent and painful acid reflux and your doctor may decide to correct the problem surgically. |
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In this case, the surgeon divides and separates the arteries that supply blood to the top of the stomach. |
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After freeing the stomach from the spleen, your doctor wraps the upper portion of the stomach around the esophagus |
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and sutures it into place. |
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A rubber tube is placed in the esophagus to keep the wrap from becoming too tight. |
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The special ring is withdrawn ... |
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the tissues that join the abdominal muscles are sewn together ... |
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and the skin is closed with staples. |
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Finally, sterile dressings are applied. |
