Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: Impact of a Large Hiatal Hernia on Outcomes After Surgery

In this retrospective review, the authors queried whether a hiatal hernia (HH; >5cm) was associated with adverse outcomes after esophagectomy for cancer.  After adjustment, they found that HH patients had a lower rate of complete resection and  lower median survival.  They also found that in patients with HH who received induction therapy the rate of perioperative mortality was higher than those without HH who underwent induction therapy, largely due to increased cardiopulmonary complications.