In Rare Case, Man's Stomach Moves Into Chest. Know Why?

New Delhi: In a rare incident, an old man in his 90s was admitted to hospital for suffering from a rare condition in which a portion of his stomach was pushed towards his chest causing difficulty for him in breathing and eating.

The condition which occurs in less than 1 per cent of people, caused the patient to vomit whenever he used to eat something causing him heaviness and pain in the chest.

Due to this, the patient stopped eating anything and lost 5 kgs in 11 days as he was scared of the pain and vomiting. Gradually, the patient developed breathlessness and was then diagnosed with a hiatus hernia. He later underwent laparoscopic surgery.

As per reports, doctors conducted a detailed investigation into the case including an endoscopy which revealed that the patient had a large hiatus hernia.

The doctors found that a portion of the patient's stomach was pushed upward into his chest through an opening in the diaphragm and compressed his lungs causing severe symptoms.

They also saw severe adhesions around the hernia, which required careful adhesiolysis to free the herniated stomach. Following this, the stomach was repositioned into the abdominal cavity and the diaphragm defect was closed and reinforced with a composite mesh.

Later, a surgical procedure was used to treat stomach acid reflux, called fundoplication, was also performed to ensure the best outcome.

What is Hiatal Hernia and its Symptoms:

A hiatal hernia occurs when the upper part of the stomach bulges through the diaphragm into the chest cavity. It happens when the upper part of the stomach bulges through the large muscle that separates the abdomen and the chest. The muscle is called the diaphragm.

Symptoms:

Heartburn
Noncardiac chest pain
Indigestion
Burping and regurgitation
Difficulty swallowing
Sore throat
Hoarseness
Shortness of breath