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The Massive Hiatal Hernia: Dealing With the Defect

Service of Surgery, Hospital de Sant Pau, Padre Claret 167, 08025 Barcelona, Spain; etargarona{at}hsp.santpau.es

Carmen Balagué, MD, PhD

Carmen Martinez, MD

Jordi Garriga, MD

Manuel Trias, MD, PhD

Service of Surgery, Hospital de Sant Pau, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

The success of laparoscopic fundoplication has extended the use of the laparoscopic approach to treating more difficult situations such as paraesophageal hernias (PEHs) or type IlIl (mixed) hiatal hernia. The results have shown that laparoscopic repair is feasible and safe. However, several series have shown recurrence rates of up to 42% as a result of difficulty in the closure of the hiatal gap. Some authors recommend the use of prosthetic mesh to reinforce the hiatal closure. This review analyses the different techniques proposed to prevent recurrence after laparoscopic repair of PEHs. The information currently available shows that the use of a mesh for hiatal repair is safe and prevents recurrence. However, data on the long-term results are lacking, and infrequent but severe complications may arise. The mesh should be used selectively, and the decision to proceed should be based on clinical experience.

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