Laparoscopic fixation of meshes prior to their fibrous incorporation should be reliable to minimize recurrences following transabdominal preperitoneal hernia repair (TAPP) and totally extraperitoneal repair (TEP) repair of inguinal hernias. However, suture, tack and staple-based fixation systems are associated with postoperative chronic inguinal pain. Initial fixation with fibrin sealant offers an atraumatic alternative, but there is little data showing that fibrin-based mesh adhesion provides adequate biomechanical stability for repair of inguinal hernia by TAPP and TEP.

A literature search was performed using medline and the search Google, Springer link and Highwire press. The following search terms were used: Laparoscopic hernia mesh, Fibrin glue, and Tackers. 2293 citations were found in total. Selected papers were screened for further references. Criteria for selection of literature were the number of cases (excluded if less than 80), methods of analysis (statistical or nonstatistical), operative procedure (only universally accepted procedures were selected) and the institution where the study was done (specialized institution for laparoscopic surgery).

Mesh fixation has always invited lots of interest amongst surgeons and instrument companies due to the wide range of postoperative complications each of them caused. TAPP and TEP usually involves fixation of mesh, however many studies challenging the mesh fixation in TEP are being published. There are two most common methods of fixing mesh using fibrin glue (Tissucol) and tackers. Fibrin sealant possesses both mechanical strength and elasticity. Overall, data from previous studies, shows that mesh stability with fibrin sealant fixation is at least equivalent to suture fixation, indicating that fibrin sealant could be considered the fixation method of choice in inguinal hernia repair. This new method of mesh fixation is obviously potentially less harmful than stapling the mesh and can help reduce the risk of chronic postoperative pain at a comparative or even lower cost than a stapling device.

Fibrin glue gives an adequate mesh fixation with a less chance of chronic postoperative pain. It appears to be an alternative to staples and may help reduce the postoperative pain problems after hernia repair. All methods give the same results in terms of recurrence rate, hospital stay, and costs; but with better results in terms of postoperative pain, seromas, and trocar-related trauma. However the use of fibrin glue needs extensive study, as the anatomical dissection and inguinal region preparation have to be carefully performed, and the mesh size has to be adequate; peritoneum closure with a running suture is more time consuming. Large randomized trials and longer follow-up are required to demonstrate the advantages of either technique.