How much does hiatus hernia and anti-reflux surgery cost privately in the UK? (2026)

Private hiatus hernia repair with fundoplication tightens the valve between the stomach and gullet by wrapping the top of the stomach around the lower oesophagus, usually by keyhole surgery, for people with severe reflux not controlled by medicines.

We did not find a reliable published price list for hiatus hernia and anti-reflux surgery, so this guide gives no pounds-and-pence figure. Prices vary widely between hospitals and clinicians, and any number quoted without a named source should be treated with caution.

Through small cuts a camera is used to pull the stomach back into the abdomen, close the gap in the diaphragm and wrap the upper stomach around the lower gullet. Mesh may be added for larger defects.

Pre-operative tests are a large part of the pathway. Ask which are needed, which are included and how the surgeon uses them to decide on the operation.

The headline figure hides several moving parts. In the case of hiatus hernia and anti-reflux surgery, the following tend to decide where a quote lands.

• Pre-operative testing: endoscopy, pH monitoring and manometry are usually needed to confirm the diagnosis.

• Operation type: simple fundoplication, repair of a large hiatus hernia with mesh, or a revision procedure differ in complexity.

• Hospital stay and theatre time.

• Surgeon expertise: anti-reflux surgery is a specialist upper GI operation.

• Follow-up and dietary support: swallowing after surgery needs guidance.

A fixed price is only as useful as its small print. Here is how the common items tend to divide between included and extra.

Insurers usually cover anti-reflux surgery when tests confirm reflux and medicines have failed, with authorisation.

Insured patients should confirm the benefit limit, the excess and whether the consultant is on the insurer list. Self-funders can compare a fixed package price against an itemised estimate, and ask whether credit is available.

NHS anti-reflux surgery is offered selectively after investigations, with specialist upper GI centres performing most.

If you are weighing private against NHS care, remember that NHS referral gives you a right to choose a provider in England and an 18-week standard for non-urgent treatment. Check current waits in your area before deciding.

Expect a few days in hospital, a soft diet for a period and several weeks before heavy activity.

Ask your provider to explain, in writing if possible, what is covered if the course of care changes.

• Some people have difficulty swallowing, bloating or reflux returning after surgery, and revision is occasionally needed; ask about outcomes and what the price covers.

• Medicines remain an option, so surgery should be weighed against long-term acid suppression.

Ask each provider for an itemised written estimate, then put them side by side. These questions are specific to this procedure.

• Which tests do I need first, and what do they cost?

• Does the price include a stay and dietary follow-up?

• What happens if reflux or swallowing problems persist?

• What are the alternatives?

• Is the consultant fee, anaesthetist fee and hospital fee shown separately, and are any of them estimated rather than fixed?