To begin, position the anesthetized patient supine with arms out and a footboard to facilitate steep reverse Trendelenberg positioning. Using the open hasson technique, enter the peritoneal cavity in the left supra umbilical space to insert the camera port. Next, insert one eight millimeter port in the right upper quadrant, 10 centimeters above the umbilicus, and one port in the left upper quadrant.
Place the assistant port in the right lower quadrant. Insert the liver retractor through a five millimeter port, placed in the extreme lateral part of the right upper quadrant. Then dock the surgical robot.
To reduce hiatal hernia, begin by removing the adhesions of the bowel to the abdominal wall. Then, using a robotic bipolar surgical energy device, open the gastrohepatic ligament. Open the lesser sac by removing adhesions and additional short gastric artery branches.
Using a combination of blunt and electrocautery dissection with the robot, dissect the hernia sac, circumferentially at the hiatus. Then use laparoscopic scissors to carefully dissect the dense adhesions between the liver and stomach. To note previous fundoplication, perform sharp dissection with laparoscopic scissors and undo the wrap to completely free the stomach.
Next, using the combination of blunt and sharp dissection, mobilize the esophagus, transhiatally in the mediastinum. Under endoscopy, identify the gastroesophageal junction, then measure the esophagus from the hiatus to the gastroesophageal junction. Next, perform endoscopy and visualize the mucosa clearly to ensure no injuries and insufflate the esophagus in stomach to ensure no air leakage.
Begin hiatal repair by performing accrual repair using O silk sutures, applying two to three posterior crural stitches. Pass a 56 French bougie into the esophagus, and with the bougie in place, pass a grasper comfortably into the hiatus. Next for Nissen fundoplication, bring the fundus across the right side, posterior to the esophagus and beneath the vagus nerve.
Pass a 58 French bougie into the esophagus and perform a loose fundoplication over the bougie, using three 2/0 silk sutures.
