Hiatal Hernia Doctors In St. Petersburg, FL

A 25-minute drive from St. Petersburg, Dr. Gopal Grandhige treats hiatal hernias and reflux as a mechanical problem, not just an acid problem. His Tampa practice does one thing: foregut surgery. He proves a hernia is causing your symptoms with objective testing before he recommends repairing it, and he turns many patients away from surgery when the testing says they won’t benefit.

Why St. Petersburg patients drive across the bay for a foregut specialist

St. Petersburg has capable general and minimally invasive surgeons who repair hiatal hernias. The reason patients cross the Gandy or Howard Frankland anyway comes down to one thing: how often the surgeon does this specific operation, and whether they test before they cut.

Dr. Grandhige has performed over 600 fundoplications, over 600 LINX procedures, and over 200 TIF procedures. He is the only board-certified surgeon in the Tampa Bay area who performs all of these anti-reflux procedures with regularity, and beginning in 2026 he is adding RefluxStop, making him the only surgeon in the region offering all four major repairs. A general surgeon who does a handful of these a year cannot match that volume, and volume in foregut surgery is not about bragging rights. It is about pattern recognition: seeing enough cases to know which patients do well, which are at risk for side effects, and which should not be on an operating table at all.

The practice sits at 1315 South Howard Ave, Suite 101, in South Tampa, roughly 25 minutes from downtown St. Pete. For a once-in-a-lifetime decision about your esophagus, most patients decide the drive is worth getting it right the first time instead of facing a revision later.

The St. Pete and Pinellas patients who should get a foregut evaluation

You should consider a specialist evaluation if medication has stopped doing its job or your symptoms never fit a clean diagnosis. Specific situations that warrant a foregut-focused workup:

A hiatal hernia larger than 3 centimeters almost always contributes mechanically to reflux, and medication cannot fix a mechanical problem. Reflux that breaks through once-daily proton pump inhibitors, or that needs twice-daily dosing to control, points to either more severe disease or a failing reflux barrier. A normal endoscopy paired with stubborn heartburn, chest discomfort, or throat symptoms is one of the most common reasons patients are wrongly told nothing is wrong. Chronic throat clearing, hoarseness, or a cough that allergy and asthma treatment never touched can be silent reflux reaching tissue far more sensitive than the esophagus. And if you simply do not want to take acid-suppressing medication for the rest of your life, you deserve to know whether a durable alternative fits your anatomy.

If you have been handed conflicting advice by different doctors, or referred for surgery and want a second opinion from someone who will tell you when not to operate, that is exactly the kind of case this practice is built for. You can read more about hiatal hernias and how they cause reflux before your visit.

The research finding most St. Petersburg clinic pages won’t tell you about

If you have scoliosis, kyphosis, or any spinal curvature, ask your surgeon how it changes your recurrence risk before you schedule anything. Most pages skip this entirely.

A study out of the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital reviewed 546 hiatal hernia repairs and found spinal deformities in 15.8% of patients. Those patients were significantly more likely to have larger, more complex Type III and Type IV hernias, the kind with higher recurrence rates after repair. The researchers, led by Dr. Vic Velanovich’s group, suggested these patients may need extra preoperative counseling and, in some cases, surgical reinforcement of the repair. You can read the published findings in the USF and Tampa General study on spinal deformities and hiatal hernia recurrence.

This is the kind of detail that separates a comprehensive evaluation from a quick consult. A surgeon who knows your spine curvature affects your hernia anatomy will plan the repair differently than one who treats every hernia the same way. It is also a concrete question you can use to test any surgeon you are considering: ask how spinal anatomy factors into their repair plan and recurrence risk. The answer tells you a lot.

How procedure selection actually works here

There is no single best reflux operation. There is only the right operation for your anatomy, your esophageal function, and your symptoms, and in many cases the right answer is no operation at all. Dr. Grandhige works through a defined sequence before recommending anything.

First, prove reflux is real. Objective pH testing confirms whether reflux is actually occurring and whether it is acid, non-acid, or bile-related. Many people with reflux-like symptoms turn out to have esophageal hypersensitivity, a motility disorder, functional chest pain, or an ENT or pulmonary cause. If reflux is not objectively proven, surgery is not recommended, regardless of how the symptoms feel.

Second, map the anatomy. The size of the hernia, the length and position of the esophagus, and the relationship between stomach and diaphragm determine which procedures are even feasible and how durable a repair is likely to be.

Third, test esophageal function. Esophageal manometry measures the strength and coordination of your swallowing muscles. This is the most overlooked step in reflux surgery and the one that prevents the worst outcomes. A weak esophagus may not tolerate a full wrap or a magnetic device, and ignoring that leads to swallowing trouble and regret.

Fourth, match symptoms to physiology, set honest expectations about which symptoms will improve and which won’t, and only then choose among the procedures, or recommend continued medical management. Because Dr. Grandhige performs every major procedure, the decision is driven by what fits your body, not by the one operation a surgeon happens to be comfortable with.

The four anti-reflux procedures he offers are fundoplication in its various configurations, the LINX magnetic sphincter device, the incisionless TIF / EsophyX procedure, and, starting in 2026, RefluxStop.

tampa bay reflux institute logo

Silent reflux: why precise testing changes who should have surgery

If you have throat clearing, hoarseness, or a chronic cough and every test has come back normal, the problem may be that standard reflux testing was looking in the wrong place. This is the gap that costs LPR patients years of misdiagnosis.

Laryngopharyngeal reflux, or silent reflux, is reflux reaching the throat and voice box, tissue so sensitive that a single reflux episode a day can cause symptoms, while the esophagus tolerates 40 to 50. Standard testing measures acid only above the lower esophageal sphincter and misses non-acid reflux like bile and pepsin entirely. So patients get told their test is normal, that it is allergies or asthma, or that surgery has only a coin-flip chance of helping.

Dr. Grandhige uses a customized 24-hour dual-channel pH impedance probe that measures reflux at two levels: above the lower esophageal sphincter and above the upper esophageal sphincter, where the throat symptoms actually originate. That precision changes the math. Patients with true LPR are often quoted roughly a 50% chance that surgery helps. By selecting the right patients through dual-level testing, that figure rises to approximately 80%. The practical result is that fewer patients are operated on, but the ones who are have a far better chance of improvement. You can learn more about silent reflux and how it differs from typical GERD.

What “specialist” actually means for your outcome

A foregut specialist differs from an occasional reflux surgeon in judgment, not just technique. Reflux surgery succeeds or fails before the first incision, based on how well the disease was understood and how accurately the procedure was matched to the patient.

Dr. Grandhige sees foregut patients every day, which builds the pattern recognition to spot a poor surgical candidate early. He performs every major procedure, so he is not limited to one familiar operation. And he uses testing to rule surgery out as often as to justify it, which is the opposite of how reflux surgery earned its dated reputation for side effects in the 1970s. He performs all surgeries at a single hospital, HCA South Tampa, with the same operating-room team and his own dedicated physician assistant in every case, because consistency across that whole system is one of the strongest predictors of a safe, durable result.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of SAGES, and a founding member of the American Foregut Society. You can verify his board certification through the American Board of Surgery and his active license through the Florida Department of Health.

Dr. Grandhige transparent background

Emerging option: RefluxStop for larger and more complex hernias

For patients with large hiatal hernias, the standard repair has a real durability problem, and a newer device aims to fix it. RefluxStop, which Dr. Grandhige is adding in 2026, works as a mechanical stop that does not encircle the food passageway, a different approach from a wrap or a magnetic ring.

Standard surgical treatment for GERD with a large hiatal hernia carries a reoperation rate of up to 50% at five years. In a Swiss study of 99 patients followed up to four years, RefluxStop produced large improvements in quality-of-life scores for both small and large hernia groups, with a low complication rate. You can read the Swiss RefluxStop outcomes study for the full data. It is one more reason to choose a surgeon with the full toolkit rather than a single default operation, especially if your hernia is large or has recurred before.

What to bring and how the timeline works

Send your prior records before your visit so the consultation is spent on answers, not paperwork. Email reports from any prior endoscopies and pathology, pH testing, manometry, barium swallow or imaging, plus office notes from your gastroenterologist, ENT, pulmonologist, or allergist, and a list of medications and prior surgeries to info@tampareflux.com. Dr. Grandhige personally reviews everything before you walk in.

The practice aims to see new patients within two weeks, and always within four. If your testing is already complete, diagnosis can often be confirmed at the first visit and surgery, when appropriate, scheduled as early as four weeks out. If you still need testing, the workup and a second review visit are coordinated efficiently, usually moving from first consultation to surgery within roughly four to eight weeks. Testing is grouped onto as few days as possible, and the team coordinates studies near you in Pinellas when it makes your trip shorter.

FAQS

You need objective proof that reflux is happening and that your symptoms correlate with it, plus an anatomy and esophageal-function workup. Surgery is recommended only when testing confirms a mechanical problem that a repair can fix. Many patients with reflux-like symptoms are better served without surgery, and that judgment is the point of a specialist evaluation.

The office is about 25 minutes from downtown St. Pete. Foregut surgery outcomes depend heavily on how often a surgeon does the specific procedure and how thoroughly they test beforehand, far more than on proximity. Most patients decide that getting the decision right the first time beats a shorter drive to a surgeon who performs these occasionally.

No. Endoscopy looks for damage caused by reflux, such as inflammation or Barrett’s esophagus. It does not measure whether reflux is occurring, how often, or why. Many people with significant reflux have a completely normal endoscopy, especially while taking acid-suppressing medication. Confirming reflux requires pH testing, not endoscopy alone.

It can. A USF and Tampa General study of 546 repairs found spinal deformities were linked to larger, more complex Type III and Type IV hernias, which carry higher recurrence rates. Tell your surgeon about any spinal curvature so the repair can be planned accordingly. It is a smart question to ask any surgeon you consult.

Surgery is designed to correct a specific mechanical problem and reduce objectively proven reflux. Heartburn and regurgitation often resolve. Atypical symptoms like throat clearing or cough may only partly improve, and symptoms that aren’t reflux-related won’t change. Honest expectation-setting before surgery is why patients here report being satisfied rather than surprised.

Often, yes. Medication, lifestyle changes, and monitoring are appropriate for many patients, particularly with smaller hernias and milder disease. The goal of the evaluation is to determine the most appropriate long-term plan for your anatomy, not to push a procedure.

If your testing is complete when you arrive, surgery can sometimes be scheduled as early as four weeks from your first visit, depending on insurance authorization. If testing is still needed, the full process typically runs about four to eight weeks from the first consultation.

Take the next step

You don’t have to accept lifelong medication or stubborn reflux as your only option, and you don’t have to guess whether surgery is right for you. The first step is a complete, objective evaluation from a surgeon who focuses exclusively on this. Dr. Grandhige will confirm whether a hiatal hernia is truly driving your symptoms, explain what is happening in plain language, and walk through every option, surgical and not, with honest expectations about what each can and cannot do.

If you’re in St. Petersburg or anywhere in Pinellas and you’re ready for clarity, reach out to schedule your consultation.

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Dr. Gopal Grandhige specializes in the treatment of Hiatal Hernias, Reflux (GERD), Gastroparesis, LPR (silent reflux) and Achalasia

An endoscopy cannot tell you if you have reflux. It can only tell you if you have complications of GERD.

If you are unhappy with your reflux symptoms, come in and we can discuss testing and treatments that can accurately diagnose your problem.

#reflux #gerd #hiatalhernia #gastroparesis #linx

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 18117016606567964
An endoscopy cannot tell you if you have reflux. It can only tell you if you have complications of GERD. If you are unhappy with your reflux symptoms, come in and we can discuss testing and treatments that can accurately diagnose your problem. #reflux #gerd #hiatalhernia #gastroparesis #linx

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CALL US AT 813-922-2920
www.tampareflux.com

If you have a hiatal hernia and fit one of these categories, you should know your options.

Dr. Grandhige is an expert in his field and performs 200 of these surgeries a year. He is the only surgeon in the Tampa Bay Area who offers all surgical options - LINX, Fundoplications, TIF and will be one of 20 surgeons in America introducing the latest procedure RefluxStop in 2026.

We accept most insurances but will verify yours before you come in. These procedures are considered medically necessary and covered by your insurance. You can expect to pay your in-network deductibles and nothing else.

#hiatalhernia #reflux #GERD #LINX #refluxstop

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 17991850604883485
CALL US AT 813-922-2920 www.tampareflux.com If you have a hiatal hernia and fit one of these categories, you should know your options. Dr. Grandhige is an expert in his field and performs 200 of these surgeries a year. He is the only surgeon in the Tampa Bay Area who offers all surgical options - LINX, Fundoplications, TIF and will be one of 20 surgeons in America introducing the latest procedure RefluxStop in 2026. We accept most insurances but will verify yours before you come in. These procedures are considered medically necessary and covered by your insurance. You can expect to pay your in-network deductibles and nothing else. #hiatalhernia #reflux #GERD #LINX #refluxstop

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What causes reflux ?

1. Weak lower esophageal sphincter
2. Hiatal hernia
3. Flattening of the Angle of His
4. Poor esophageal motility
5. Gastroparesis (slow stomach)

NOT increased acid production

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 18082622333164146
What causes reflux ? 1. Weak lower esophageal sphincter 2. Hiatal hernia 3. Flattening of the Angle of His 4. Poor esophageal motility 5. Gastroparesis (slow stomach) NOT increased acid production

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Don’t let GERD get in the way of living your life. Request your appointment with us today on the link below.
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https://tampareflux.com/contact-us/

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 17987439043972907
Don’t let GERD get in the way of living your life. Request your appointment with us today on the link below. . . . . https://tampareflux.com/contact-us/

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Anyone can be victim to GERD and though weight loss can help reduce GERD symptoms. Many athletes with high impact workouts may continue to have these symptoms. This may be a symptom of a hiatal hernia or other issue. We are more then happy to assist you in finding your solution, just click the link below.
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https://tampareflux.com/contact-us/

##healthylifestyle #workout #athletereflux #PPIs #heartburn #LINX #fundoplication #TIF #GERD#tampaheartburn #linx #TIF #fundoplication #tampabayreflux #GERD #acidreflux #acidrefluxsurgery #stopreflux
#nonsurgicalweightloss #ESG #gastricballoon #weightlossjourney #vsg #vsgjourney #spatz3 #orbera #orberaballoon #grandhige #DrG
#tampabayrefluxinstitute #guthealth #roboticsurgery

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 18254362480198807
Anyone can be victim to GERD and though weight loss can help reduce GERD symptoms. Many athletes with high impact workouts may continue to have these symptoms. This may be a symptom of a hiatal hernia or other issue. We are more then happy to assist you in finding your solution, just click the link below. . . . https://tampareflux.com/contact-us/ ##healthylifestyle #workout #athletereflux #PPIs #heartburn #LINX #fundoplication #TIF #GERD#tampaheartburn #linx #TIF #fundoplication #tampabayreflux #GERD #acidreflux #acidrefluxsurgery #stopreflux #nonsurgicalweightloss #ESG #gastricballoon #weightlossjourney #vsg #vsgjourney #spatz3 #orbera #orberaballoon #grandhige #DrG #tampabayrefluxinstitute #guthealth #roboticsurgery

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Heartburn may seem like an annoyance. But if you find yourself having symptoms on a daily basis, it may be time to to talk to Dr. Grandhige as it could be a symptom of something worse.
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#chronicheartburn #gerdsymptoms #heartburnrelief #reflux #PPIs #heartburn #LINX #fundoplication #TIF #GERD#tampaheartburn #linx #TIF #fundoplication #tampabayreflux #GERD #acidreflux #acidrefluxsurgery #stopreflux
#nonsurgicalweightloss #ESG #gastricballoon #weightlossjourney #vsg #vsgjourney #spatz3 #orbera #orberaballoon #grandhige #DrG
#tampabayrefluxinstitute #guthealth #roboticsurgery

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 17982108305010204
Heartburn may seem like an annoyance. But if you find yourself having symptoms on a daily basis, it may be time to to talk to Dr. Grandhige as it could be a symptom of something worse. . . . #chronicheartburn #gerdsymptoms #heartburnrelief #reflux #PPIs #heartburn #LINX #fundoplication #TIF #GERD#tampaheartburn #linx #TIF #fundoplication #tampabayreflux #GERD #acidreflux #acidrefluxsurgery #stopreflux #nonsurgicalweightloss #ESG #gastricballoon #weightlossjourney #vsg #vsgjourney #spatz3 #orbera #orberaballoon #grandhige #DrG #tampabayrefluxinstitute #guthealth #roboticsurgery

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If you are tired of avoiding your favorite foods or taking daily medications, we can help.

We are the Tampa experts in reflux ! With years of experience and thousands of patients treated successfully, we offer all FDA approved anti-reflux procedures.

Call 813-922-2920 to schedule your appointment
All major insurances accepted.

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 17988569857918398
If you are tired of avoiding your favorite foods or taking daily medications, we can help. We are the Tampa experts in reflux ! With years of experience and thousands of patients treated successfully, we offer all FDA approved anti-reflux procedures. Call 813-922-2920 to schedule your appointment All major insurances accepted.

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Not all patients need surgical intervention. Many patients are living a heartburn free life with their PPIs. However 40% of patients taking PPIs are not getting the relief they need. If you are one of those, you have options! Come in and find out more.
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#letushelpyou #medsnotworking #reflux #PPIs #heartburn #LINX #fundoplication #TIF #GERD#tampaheartburn #linx #TIF #fundoplication #tampabayreflux #GERD #acidreflux #acidrefluxsurgery #stopreflux
#nonsurgicalweightloss #ESG #gastricballoon #weightlossjourney #vsg #vsgjourney #spatz3 #orbera #orberaballoon #grandhige #DrG
#tampabayrefluxinstitute #guthealth #roboticsurgery

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 18013017316510574
Not all patients need surgical intervention. Many patients are living a heartburn free life with their PPIs. However 40% of patients taking PPIs are not getting the relief they need. If you are one of those, you have options! Come in and find out more. . . . . #letushelpyou #medsnotworking #reflux #PPIs #heartburn #LINX #fundoplication #TIF #GERD#tampaheartburn #linx #TIF #fundoplication #tampabayreflux #GERD #acidreflux #acidrefluxsurgery #stopreflux #nonsurgicalweightloss #ESG #gastricballoon #weightlossjourney #vsg #vsgjourney #spatz3 #orbera #orberaballoon #grandhige #DrG #tampabayrefluxinstitute #guthealth #roboticsurgery

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Open post by tampareflux with ID 17969891975268735
#heartburn #stopreflux #hiatalherniarepair #severeheartburn #reflux #tampabayreflux #acidrefluxsurgery #tampaheartburn #GERD #PPIs #achalasia #LINX #TIF #tampareflux #fundoplication #stomach #digestivehealth #ESG #obesity #overweight #weightlossjourney #gastricballoon

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