Perioperative morbidity after primary hiatal hernia repair increases as hernia size increases

Background: Minimally invasive hiatal hernia (HH) repair is the gold standard for correcting mechanical defects of the crural diaphragm due to its safety and favorable clinical outcomes (i.e., relief of patient symptoms). However, several operative factors, including HH size, may negatively affect the postoperative course. We sought to determine if an increase in HH size was associated with an increased risk of perioperative complications, ICU admission, or hospital readmissions after minimally invasive HH repair.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of patients who underwent primary HH repair by an experienced foregut surgeon between September 2016 and July 2023. Four groups were defined based on the percentage of stomach at the thorax determined during surgery (small-HH: <25%, moderate-HH: 25-49%, large-HH: 50-74%, and intrathoracic stomach [ITS]: ≥75%). Covariates were compared between the groups, and logistic regressions were performed to identify factors associated with postoperative morbidity.

Results: A total of 391 patients (73.7% female; mean age, 64.4 ± 12.5 years) comprised the groups: small-HH (n = 160), moderate-HH (n = 63), large-HH (n = 64), and ITS (n = 104). Patients with ITS were older (p < 0.001), had longer operations (p < 0.001), greater blood loss (p < 0.001), longer hospital stays (p < 0.001), and an increased risk of early postoperative complications (aOR 2.59 [CI95: 1.28-5.25], p = 0.009) and ICU admission (aOR 13.3 [CI95: 3.10-57.06], p < 0.001).

Conclusion: An increase in HH size was associated with an increased risk of early postoperative complications, ICU admission, and a trend toward higher 30- and 90-day hospital readmissions, likely due to the progressive nature of the disease.