I have to have thoracic surgery have a severe hiatal hernia over half of my stomach in in my diaphragm and is pressing on my lungs and there is also a hernia in my esophagus .Will I have to have major surgery or will it be several small one inch incisions
Thanks for your question on Chat Doctor. Thoracic surgery is of course a major surgery. It is done under general anesthesia and very much expertise is needed. In your surgery, sternum and ribs will be separated, and operative field will be achieved. So you may require blood transfusion too, during surgery. So don't think this as small surgery, it is a major surgery with a lot of risks. Better to consult your operating surgeon again and discuss all these in depth.