The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscular barrier between the chest and abdominal cavities. It separates your heart and lungs from your abdominal organs (stomach, intestines, spleen, and liver). There are two types of diaphragmatic hernia, i.e. congenital and acquired diaphragmatic hernias. Severe breathing difficulties are normally one of the more obvious symptoms. Both congenital and acquired diaphragmatic hernias are surgical emergencies. Surgery must be performed to remove the abdominal organs from the chest and place them back into the abdomen. The surgeon will then repair the diaphragm. The success of such surgeries depends on the cause of this type of hernia and the damage that might have been caused to the lungs.