Hiatus hernia. Report of three cases requiring immediate surgical intervention.

Three cases of hiatus hernias all necessitating emergency surgery are presented. The cases represent all three types, viz. sliding, paraoesophageal and combined hernias. It is stressed that hiatal hernias usually have a well-defined symptomatology, but sometimes do imitate symptoms from neighbouring organs or regions. In the event of acute obstruction immediate surgical intervention is mandatory, as in any other part of the gastrointestinal tract.