The portal uses cookies to provide service functions such as “Bookmark” and to improve website usage. Information and opt-out options can be found in the cookie settings in the privacy policy.

Search

Q40.1: Congenital hiatus hernia

You have a congenital hiatus hernia.

The diaphragm separates the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. Above the diaphragm are the lungs and the heart. Beneath the diaphragm are the stomach, liver and spleen. In the diaphragm there are some openings which the large blood vessels and the esophagus run through.

The opening in the diaphragm is usually so narrow that only the esophagus fits through it. With a congenital hiatus hernia, the opening for the esophagus is widened due to a defect. A defect can occur if tissue is disturbed while it is developing in the womb. Due to the defect, your stomach is located partly or wholly above your diaphragm.

A hiatus hernia can cause various problems. For example, you may experience heartburn. Heartburn occurs if gastric acid from the stomach gets into the esophagus. Heartburn produces a burning, unpleasant sensation in the chest cavity. However, some hiatus hernias do not cause any discomfort.

The symptoms also depend on how much of the stomach is located above the diaphragm. If a large portion of the stomach is located in the chest cavity, there may be problems with breathing and the blood circulation. This is due to the fact that the lungs and heart have less space, so they cannot work properly.

The symptoms also depend on whether the stomach is being pinched in the diaphragm opening.

Additional indicator

On medical documents, the ICD code is often appended by letters that indicate the diagnostic certainty or the affected side of the body.

  • G: Confirmed diagnosis
  • V: Tentative diagnosis
  • Z: Condition after
  • A: Excluded diagnosis
  • L: Left
  • R: Right
  • B: Both sides

Further information

Note

This information is not intended for self-diagnosis and does not replace professional medical advice from a doctor. If you find an ICD code on a personal medical document, please also note the additional indicator used for diagnostic confidence.
Your doctor will assist you with any health-related questions and explain the ICD diagnosis code to you in a direct consultation if necessary.

Source

Provided by the non-profit organization “Was hab’ ich?” gemeinnützige GmbH on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG).