Comparison of Absorbable Versus Nonabsorbable Tackers in Terms of Long-term Outcomes, Chronic Pain, and Quality of Life After Laparoscopic Incisional Hernia Repair: A Randomized Study

Background: Laparoscopic incisional and ventral hernia repair (LIVHR) has been associated with a high incidence acute and chronic pain due to use of nonabsorbable tackers. Several absorbable tackers have been introduced to overcome these complications. This randomized study was done to compare 2 techniques of mesh fixation, that is, nonabsorbable versus absorbable tackers for LIVHR. Materials and Methods: Ninety patients admitted for LIVHR repair (defect size <15cm) were randomized into 2 groups: nonabsorbable tacker fixation (NAT group, 45 patients) and absorbable tacker fixation (AT group, 45 patients). Intraoperative variables and postoperative outcomes were recorded and analyzed. Results: Patients in both the groups were comparable in terms of demographic profile and hernia characteristics. Mesh fixation time and operation time were also comparable. There was no significant difference in the incidence of immediate postoperative and chronic pain over a mean follow-up of 8.8 months. However, cost of the procedure was significantly higher in AT group (P<0.01) and NAT fixation was more cost effective as compared with AT. Postoperative quality of life outcomes and patient satisfaction scores were also comparable. Conclusions: NAT is a cost-effective method of mesh fixation in patients undergoing LIVHR with comparable early and late postoperative outcomes in terms of pain, quality of life, and patient satisfaction scores.