Hiatus hernia

A hiatus hernia describes the occurrence of a portion of the stomach projecting into the thoracic cavity through the esophageal hiatus of the diaphragm. When the stomach completely projects through the esophageal hiatus it is described as an intrathoracic stomach. Having a portion of the stomach above the diaphragm can result in stomach acid refluxing up into the esophagus exposing the esophageal tissues to highly acidic fluid and is know as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).