Intraesophageal Migration of a Paraesophageal Hernia Mesh: A Case Report

Paraesophageal hernias (PEH) have a high recurrence rate, which can justify the use of a mesh during their repair. Mesh use in PEH repair is highly debated as it can lead to many complications like erosion and migration of the mesh, like in our case. Here, we present a case of a 23-year-old woman operated on multiple occasions for a recurring PEH and who presented an intraesophageal migration of the mesh. Partial upper gastrectomy and lower esophagectomy were performed to remove the mesh and the recurrent hernia was repaired using primary sutures of the hiatus. The surgery was without complications and there are no signs of recurrence up to a year later. Reoperation on a recurring PEH can be more difficult in case of mesh use in previous intervention and can lead to other complications like mesh erosion or migration, even so, some surgeons choose this option because it has a lower recurrence rate.