Robotic Hiatal Hernia Surgery In Tampa, FL

Most people searching for hiatal hernia care in Tampa have already seen multiple doctors, tried several medications, and changed their diet. They still feel stuck. At Tampa Bay Reflux Institute, we built the practice around that exact frustration.

We focus exclusively on foregut surgery. That means the esophagus, the diaphragm, and the stomach. Reflux is rarely just an acid problem. It is most often a mechanical and functional disorder, and a hiatal hernia is one of the most common reasons the reflux barrier fails. Our entire diagnostic process is built to find the real cause, not to guess at it.

Dr. Gopal Grandhige is board certified in general surgery and trained in foregut and minimally invasive surgery at Yale, New Haven. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of SAGES, and a founding member of the American Foregut Society. He has been performing anti reflux and hiatal hernia procedures since 2009.

We do not recommend surgery based on symptoms alone. Every patient gets objective testing, including pH monitoring and esophageal manometry when appropriate, so the decision to repair a hiatal hernia is based on anatomy and physiology, not assumptions. We perform every operation at HCA South Tampa Hospital with one dedicated team, including a physician assistant who is present at every case. That consistency protects you.

Patients travel here from across Florida, and increasingly from outside the state, because they want to get it right the first time.

Hiatal hernia repair is not a one size fits all procedure. The way we get to surgery matters as much as the operation itself. Here is what your path looks like.

Before your first visit, Dr. Grandhige personally reviews your endoscopy reports, prior imaging, pH tests, and notes from your gastroenterologist, ENT, pulmonologist, or primary care doctor. Please email everything to info@tampareflux.com so we can use your consultation time well.

We use diagrams and plain language to explain how your hiatal hernia is contributing to reflux. You will learn which symptoms are very likely related to your hernia, which are unlikely, and which may be multifactorial. You leave understanding your body, not just a diagnosis code.

If physiologic testing has not been completed, we coordinate it efficiently through a small group of trusted local partners. Most patients move from first visit to surgery within four to eight weeks.

Hiatal hernia repair is performed using laparoscopic or robotic techniques through small incisions, not open surgery. Your hernia is reduced, the diaphragmatic opening is repaired, and when appropriate, the reflux barrier is reinforced with a tailored fundoplication or a LINX device. Most patients go home the same day.

You will not be handed off to a stranger after surgery. Our physician assistant has assisted on your case and knows your anatomy. You can reach us directly when you need us.

When patients are appropriately selected, more than ninety five percent achieve significant symptom relief and elimination of daily reflux medications after hiatal hernia repair and anti reflux surgery. Those are not numbers we picked from a brochure. They reflect more than a decade of patients followed in Tampa Bay.

“I had lived with reflux for years and finally felt heard. Dr. Grandhige drew out my anatomy on paper and showed me exactly why my hiatal hernia was causing the problem. I understood my body for the first time.”

Gastroenterologists, ENT physicians, pulmonologists, and primary care doctors across Tampa Bay refer their patients to us because they know their patients will come back informed, regardless of whether surgery happens. Many also send patients for related conditions we treat, including silent reflux, achalasia, and the TIF procedure. That trust took years to earn and is the foundation of our practice.

Dr. Grandhige is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), a member of SAGES, and a founding member of the American Foregut Society. His credentials and educational background in hiatal hernia care can be independently verified through the American Board of Surgery and the Florida Department of Health.

If you recognize yourself in even one of these, a consultation is worth your time. For more background reading, our educational blog covers many of these scenarios in depth.

• You take a daily proton pump inhibitor and still have heartburn or regurgitation.
• You have been told your endoscopy is normal but your symptoms have never gone away.
• You wake up at night coughing, choking, or with a sour taste in your throat.
• You have been diagnosed with a hiatal hernia larger than three centimeters and were told to just live with it.
• You constantly clear your throat or feel a lump that will not go away.
• You have tried two or more medications for reflux without lasting relief.
• You do not want to stay on acid suppressing medication for the rest of your life.
• You have severe esophagitis, Barrett esophagus, or a peptic stricture and want a real plan.
• You have been bounced between a gastroenterologist, an ENT, and an allergist with no clear answer.
• You suspect surgery may help but no one has ever explained your options in plain language.