Wound complications, post-operative pain and recurrence are the main problems associated with groin hernia repair. As with other laparoscopic surgery, there have been reports of major internal damage associated with keyhole hernia operations (eg: perforated intestine, haemorrhage and nerve damage).

Surgeons who use the mesh techniques without stitching the abdominal wall (tension-free surgery) claim their method is superior because it does not require the muscle to be pulled taut for stitching and is thus less likely to result in recurrence.