Medically reviewed by Sanja Jelic, MD The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen. This ...

The annular fibers about the lower portion of the esophageal hiatus are also relaxed, decreasing any constrictive effect at that site. If the nerve is simply crushed, function of the diaphragm ...

Hiatal hernias occur when there is a protrusion of the upper portion of the stomach into the thorax through a tear or weakness in the diaphragm. There are two main types of hiatal hernias.

Background and Aim: Barrett's esophagus has been associated with the presence of hiatal hernia; however, to date no meta-analysis of the relationship has been performed. We aimed to conduct a ...

The esophageal opening is created by a loop of right crux of the diaphragm. (Source: Netter medical illustration with permission from Elsevier. All rights reserved.) ...

Normally the entire stomach sits below the diaphragm. The esophagus passes through an opening in the diaphragm called the hiatus before it enters the stomach. Weakened tissues within and around the ...

If you have a hiatal hernia, part of your upper stomach bulges into your diaphragm. Your diaphragm helps prevent stomach acid from entering your esophagus. In individuals with hiatal hernias ...