How long should you wait to drink alcohol after hiatial hernia repair?

Difficult question: If you had clear reflux before i would be very cautious with heavy drinking. Social drinking in moderation too. You are very young and do not do damage to your esophagus, it is a precious organ!

As tolerated: Alcohol per se does not have any specific time restriction. If you're taking narcotic pain medicine however i would avoid alcohol use. Furthermore, carbonated beverage can be problematic in terms of bloating and probably should be avoided for between four and six weeks, or at least as long until you're able to reserve resume normal food intake. Call your surgeon with any questions however because they know your case a bit better. Best of luck.