Cost comparison of fibrin sealant vs. tack screws for mesh fixation in laparoscopic repair of inguinal hernia.

Background Inguinal hernias of the abdominal wall are common accounting for 75% of all hernia defects. They can be treated with laparoscopic surgery using a transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approach. However, in surgery there is some contention on how to conclude the hernia repair, as there are alternatives of using fibrin sealant (FS) or tack screws for fixation of a mesh implant over the defect in the abdominal wall. In this study, we evaluate the economic consequences of using FS vs. tacks for mesh fixation in TAPP inguinal hernia repair for the United Kingdom from a hospital perspective. Methods The model was populated with clinical inputs (theater time, hospitalization days, occurrence of seroma and neuralgia) from a previously conducted study comparing FS and tack screws in patients who had undergone TAPP hernia repair, and cost inputs from official government sources. One-way sensitivity analyses were also conducted to evaluate key drivers of cost analyses. Results The average cost per case treated with fibrin sealant 2mL Tisseel® and tack screws (ProTack) was £1,098 and £1,348, respectively, for resource expenses paid by the healthcare system. This would suggest a potential savings achieved of £249 per surgery using FS for mesh fixation. The sensitivity analysis showed that the key drivers for the cost difference were a variation in time to complete the surgery, followed by hospitalization days and lower adverse outcomes such as seroma and neuralgia in the two cohorts. Conclusion Using FS resulted in cost savings in hospitals based on reduced time to complete surgery, hospitalization time post-op, and lower adverse outcomes. Indirect cost savings were also found in favor of FS when comparing the two alternatives from a societal perspective, as patients were able to return to work more promptly in the FS group versus the tack screws group.