ObjectiveTo explore the effect of body mass index (BMI) on the outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for esophageal hiatal hernia.MethodsWe divided the patients who underwent hiatal hernioraphy and fundoplication surgery in our hospital between July 2013 and June 2018 into two groups according to the BMI: a group A, BMI ≥24 kg/m2, 77 patients, 41 males, 36 females, with an average age of 42 years; a group B: BMI<24 kg/m2, 63 patients, 38 males, 25 females, with an average age of 67 years, and the age, gender, type of hiatal hernia, score of subjective feeling of symptoms, level of reflux esophagitis were analyzed with the propensity score matching method. Fifty one patients were successfully matched in each group, and the curative effect of surgery was compared between the two groups.ResultsThere was no statistical difference in the type of surgery, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). The operative time of the group A was significantly longer than that of the group B (P=0.023). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in postoperative recurrence (P=0.741).ConclusionThe operative time in overweight patients is significantly longer than that in the non-overweight patients, but it has no effect on the surgical outcomes and complications.