Endoscopic Hiatal Hernia Repair Systems
Most recently, the endoscopic hiatal hernia repair has been developed, which involves specialized cameras and staplers. Going through the mouth (transoral route), surgeons travel down the esophagus and into the stomach to perform the repair, avoiding external incisions altogether.
With few small or no incisions, patients have quicker recovery times and less post operative pain. With respect to the hiatal hernia repair, advancements in surgical technology including instrumentation, delivery systems, stapling devices, and surgical mesh have revolutionized the treatment of hiatal hernia as well as many other disease processes.
Hiatal / Paraesophageal Hernia Repair
The surgical repair of hiatal and paraesophageal hernias involves returning the herniated organs back into the abdominal cavity. Additionally, the enlarged opening in the diaphragm (hiatus) must be repaired to prevent recurrence of the hernia. Many techniques have been described, and most involve wrapping a portion of the stomach (fundus) around the esophagus to prevent recurrence (fundoplication). Additionally, surgeons have employed the use of surgical meshes to strengthen the repair of the diaphragm.
The techniques for hiatal hernia repair have evolved significantly as advances in technology have been made. Although the first description of a hiatal hernia in the literature was in 1846, the first hiatal hernia repair was not performed until 1919 when Angelo Soresi performed an open hiatal hernia repair. The traditional technique of open hiatal hernia repair involves making a large midline abdominal incision where the entire abdomen is exposed. More recently, technological advances in laparoscopic surgery have made complex repairs like the laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair possible. In the laparoscopic hiatal hernia repair, the surgeon uses small incisions to gain access to the abdominal cavity. Using CO2 insufflation and long instruments, surgeons can perform repair of the hiatal hernia without making the large open abdominal incision.
EsophyX and SerosaFuse Fasteners
EsophyX by EndoGastric Solutions is a modern technology that utilizes the endoscopic approach to hiatal/paraesophageal hernia repairs. More specifically, the EsophyX device is a transoral technology, allowing the instruments that visualize and repair the hernia to be passed through the mouth, down the esophagus, and into the stomach. The great benefit of this technology is that it allows the endoscopic hiatal hernia repair to be performed without any incisions (Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication or TIF).
The TIF procedure is typically performed in the outpatient setting under general anesthesia and involves the reduction of the hernia via the delivery of the EsophyX into the patients’ stomach and repair of the defect via placement of SerosaFuse fasteners. This device is indicated for the management of chronic GERD (usually secondary to a hiatal hernia) in patients who have experienced no relief with current medications and are hesitant about more invasive methods of surgical repair.
