Cardiac Tamponade by Tack Fixation of a Hiatal Mesh. Should Tacks Still Be Used in the Diaphragm?

Since the first successful use of mesh in hernia surgery, the development and progress in materials, techniques, and procedures have increased exponentially; consequently, surgeons started to use meshes for hiatal hernia repair to prevent postoperative hernia recurrences and complications. Nonetheless, there are alarming reports in literature concerning cardiac tamponade as an apparently rare complication of hiatal mesh placement, especially when fixation is performed with tacks. A 50-year-old female diagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease undergoes an elective laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication and hiatal hernia repair with tack fixation of the mesh; on the fourth postoperative day she was readmitted with cardiac tamponade diagnosed via echocardiography, and CT scan showed proximity of the tacks to the pericardium. She underwent a failed attempt of ultrasound guided pericardiocentesis (PC), therefore, a pericardial window was performed. The ideal method for diaphragmatic mesh fixation is still controversial. Some recent articles alert of this potential risk; although the manufacturers contraindicate the use of tacks in the diaphragm, one-third of surgeons prefer this method.