Hi
Husband had hernia about 20 months post esophagectomy. CT done after discomfort started showed bowel moving upward, but they never sent report to PCP so she thought it was gastroenteritis at first. The pain became more severe over the course of several weeks, and was accompanied by vomiting. Vomiting got progressively worse and about two weeks before it pushed through into his chest cavity he started burping a VERY foul smell, then a few days pre op progressed to vomiting something sewage like. He is very blessed to still be here after emergency surgery...unfortunately the ec mets returned 3 weeks after the surgery, although there was no sign of it pre-surgically, so he went back in for chemo while he was recovering from the surgery. They used the Ivor-Lewis incision, and then some. This can become a life threatening situation, and is definitely easier to get through if you have not become totally septic by letting it go too long. In his case they were able to massage it back down into his chest, but had to cut out a foot of his small intestine because it had died up there before they were able to go in and get it. If we had known sooner they might have meshed it in place surgically without having to resect it.
His bowel resect was Christmas 2007, and he is doing well. Eats well, finally regained weight he lost from resect, and then some, and will be starting his upcoming chemo break on Friday.