Reflux and hiatus hernia · Guide
Reflux and hiatus hernia explorer: guide
Show the food pipe and stomach within the body, enter the hiatus hernia, its size, inflammation and Barrett’s oesophagus from the report, explain the treatment and share a matching picture sheet.
For patients and families
Look at the picture together
The picture opens with the whole body. Choose Chest and abdomen to see the food pipe (oesophagus) running down behind the windpipe and heart, through the diaphragm to the stomach, then Close-up to move close to the opening in the diaphragm (the hiatus). The lungs and heart are see-through. Drag to turn it and scroll or pinch to zoom.
Show what your report found
Your clinician can enter whether there is a hiatus hernia, which type and how big it is, and whether the camera test showed inflammation of the lining (oesophagitis) or Barrett’s oesophagus. The diagram in the corner shows the opening in the diaphragm from the front. The shapes are not a copy of your scan or camera test.
Things you could ask
“Can you show me where the hernia is, and what it means for my reflux?”
“What would each treatment involve?”
“What should I look out for at home?”
Take it home
Ask for a picture sheet with the views you discussed, your team’s explanation, what the oesophagus and stomach do and where to find help. A QR code reopens the same model settings on your phone. Names, notes and contact details are never included in that code or saved online.
For clinicians
Start with orientation
The explorer uses the food pipe, stomach, diaphragm, lungs, heart and aorta of the oesophagus and stomach explorer, in the same places, on the shared body, renderer and labels from the rectal explorer. It opens at normal anatomy, with no findings or treatment.
Set up from the report
| Control | What to set |
|---|---|
| Findings on the model | Add findings. Changing any finding setting also adds them and opens a cut-away through the front of the wall. |
| Hiatus hernia | None, sliding, or rolling (para-oesophageal), as written in the endoscopy, barium swallow or CT report. A sliding hernia moves the junction and the top of the stomach up through the hiatus; a rolling hernia leaves the junction below the diaphragm and draws part of the top of the stomach beside the food pipe. Mixed hernias are not drawn separately. |
| Hernia size | 1–8 cm, as written in the report: the height drawn above the hiatus. The number box and slider stay in step. Until a size is entered, the size drawn is labelled an example everywhere it is shown. Changing it sets a sliding hernia if none was chosen. |
| Inflammation (oesophagitis) | Yes draws a red lining in the lower food pipe. The grade (for example Los Angeles A–D) is not modelled. |
| Barrett’s oesophagus | Yes draws an amber lining with tongues at the bottom of the food pipe; its length is an example and is not shown as a number. |
Explain a selected plan
Lifestyle changes and medicines and Regular camera checks for Barrett’s oesophagus (available when Barrett’s is entered) draw nothing extra and say that nothing is removed. Keyhole anti-reflux operation (fundoplication) colours the top of the stomach and the hiatus teal (area treated); After treatment shows the stomach back below the diaphragm, the wrap around the lower food pipe and stitches at the hiatus. Barrett’s oesophagus stays drawn after the operation. The team selects the plan; the model does not judge which treatment is suitable.
Picture sheet and QR code
Capture up to four views with Snapshot, then use Picture sheet (PDF). The sheet can include a help page with life after the treatment chosen. The QR link stores validated model settings only. Changing any model setting clears older snapshots.
Limits
- The body is an adult’s. The food pipe, stomach and diaphragm are an average adult’s and schematic.
- The hernia is drawn at the entered height above the hiatus, with a schematic shape. Mixed hernias, a twisted stomach (volvulus), the grade of oesophagitis, the length of Barrett’s oesophagus, strictures and ulcers are not shown.
- Other operations (such as a partial wrap, a magnetic ring or a mesh repair) and endoscopic treatments are not drawn.
Sources and review
- NHS: heartburn and acid reflux
- NHS: hiatus hernia
- NICE clinical guideline CG184. Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and dyspepsia in adults, 2014 (updated 2019).
- British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on the diagnosis and management of Barrett’s oesophagus, 2013.
Practising upper GI surgeon and gastroenterologist review is still needed for clinical teaching use. Please send corrections through feedback.