My hiatal hernia has gotten bigger, should I stop lifting?

Medical Q&A [Moderated]
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Mikey14: It is conceivable that the symptoms you are feeling are attributable to the stomach being squeezed at the hiatus as you suspect during periods of increased abdominal pressure, but I can’t give a strong opinion about what you are individually experiencing without examining you, watching you do a sit up, and having more data, such as the results of a CT scan and/or EGD. Other causes could contribute to your discomfort, such as diastasis recti, Chilaiditi syndrome, intraperitoneal adhesions, etc.

I would advise continuing to pursue further evaluation, and if your current care provider is not confident in a diagnosis then request referral for additional consultation. If EGD to assess the extent of the hiatal hernia has already been done (symptomatic HHs and even asymptomatic hernias if they are large – more than 3-4 inches – should almost always be considered for surgical repair), and your doc doesn’t currently recommend repair, then further testing with esophageal and gastric manometry may give you more information about pressure gradients in the upper GI tract. If this testing were done while you were actively attempting to brace your core, it could provide good insight about the location of any high pressure that is contributing to your symptoms. If you have not yet been assessed by a general surgeon or a gastroenterologist, ask your PCP for a referral.

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@ecophotog - Hi Dr Dougherty- many thanks for all of the above info, I found this thread when searching for advice on how to resume lifting after fundoplication surgery (of which there is very little available).
I underwent surgery almost 4 weeks ago, and earlier this week I discussed exercise with my surgeon where he advised that, once fully recovered, I will only be able to use lifts where the stomach is not engaged (he mentioned that this would essentially limit me to seated exercises, e.g. machines, and even then only with reduced weight).
However, from reading your posts it looks like the answer is more nuanced than this, and unfortunately my doctor does not lift so is unable to provide any further advice. In your opinion, are there certain lifts which should be avoided entirely post-fundoplication (such as deadlift, squats), and alternatively some which would not be an issue (such as bench press)? Similarly, would use of cables be ruled out (at least where engaging core), and movements such as pulldowns present a risk to the repair?
Apologies for all of the questions, but as mentioned there is very little useful information available and I’m desperate to understand what I will be able to do- alternatively, if there’s any online resource you’re able to point me towards, this would be much appreciated.
Many thanks in advance.