I had small sliding hiatal hernia 4/12. 3/27/13 i was hit from behind in car accident with seatbelt on 4/2/13 had gastric bypass surgery; found large paraesophageal hernia.can the accident cause this?

Hiatal hernia: It is possible that the accident can cause this. However, one can have a spontaneous hernia as well. I would make your surgeon aware and have your surgeon follow this closely.

Unlikely: I think it is unlikely that the accident caused this but not impossible.

Possible: Your accident with seat belt could have increased pressure in your abdomen causing more of stomach to herniate up into chest. So, yes, it is a consideration.

It is possible: It is possible, but difficult to know 100%. It would be helpful to know how large the hernia was at the time if you gastric bypass, something your surgeon would know. You should see your surgeon anyway to help guide you on what to do about the paraesophageal hernia. Hope this helps!

Possibly: Temporally, the symptoms that you describe occurring shortly after the accident are consistent with a paraesophageal hiatal hernia. The only way to add more evidence to that would be if there are CT scans or other films, or an endoscopic report that document the presence of a paraesophageal hernia a that time.