2. Overview of complications reported in primary studies.
| Study | Group (Total number) | Neurovascular injury (including paraesthesia) or visceral injury | Wound infection | Haematoma | Seroma | Postoperative wound swelling | Wound dehiscence | Testicular injury or complications | Urinary retention | Total complications |
| Abd El Maksoud 2014 | Mesh (119) | Not reported | 8 | Not reported | 7 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | 5 | 20 |
| Non‐mesh (108) | Not reported | 2 | Not reported | 4 | Not reported | Not reported | 1 | 6 | 13 | |
| Barth 1998 | Mesh (54) | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | 4 |
| Non‐mesh (51) | Not reported | Not reported | 1 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | 1 | |
| Berndsen 2007 | Mesh (538) | 55 | Not reported | 49 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 104 |
| Non‐mesh (530) | 107 | Not reported | 60 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 167 | |
| Butters 2007 | Mesh (187) | 12 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 12 |
| Non‐mesh (93) | 9 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 9 | |
| Chakraborty 2007 | Mesh (120) | 0 | 10 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 5 | Not reported | 15 |
| Non‐mesh (120) | 0 | 5 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 5 | Not reported | 10 | |
| Elsebae 2008 | Mesh (27) | Not reported | 1 | Not reported | 1 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2 |
| Non‐mesh (27) | Not reported | 3 | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 3 | |
| Hauters 1996 | Mesh (35) | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 3 | Not reported | Not reported | 4 | Not reported | 7 |
| Non‐mesh (35) | Not reported | 1 | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | Not reported | 3 | |
| Kaynak 2007 | Mesh (354) | Not reported | 5 | 7 | 8 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 20 |
| Non‐mesh (297) | Not reported | 3 | 8 | 6 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 17 | |
| Kucuk 2010 | Mesh (130) | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 11 |
| Non‐mesh (176) | 1 | 9 | 2 | 3 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 15 | |
| Kux 1994 | Mesh (102) | Not reported | 2 | 2 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 5 | 2 | 11 |
| Non‐mesh (107) | Not reported | 0 | 2 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 3 | 34 | 39 | |
| Leibl 1995 | Mesh (54) | Not reported | 0 | 2 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Non‐mesh (48) | Not reported | 0 | 1 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| Lermite 2012 | Mesh (156) | 9 | Group not specified | Group not specified | Group not specified | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Group not specified | 9 |
| Non‐mesh (144) | 9 | Group not specified | Group not specified | Group not specified | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Group not specified | 9 | |
| Manyilirah 2012 | Mesh (51) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Not reported | Not reported | 4 | Not reported | 8 |
| Non‐mesh (50) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Not reported | Not reported | 4 | Not reported | 7 | |
| McGillicuddy 1998 | Mesh (380) | 37 | 3 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 40 |
| Non‐mesh (337) | 45 | 2 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | Not reported | 47 | |
| Nakagawa 2013 | Mesh (45) | Not reported | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | Not reported | 2 | Not reported | 12 |
| Non‐mesh (46) | Not reported | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 5 | |
| Naveen 2014 | Mesh (35) | Not reported | 2 | 1 | 8 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | 13 |
| Non‐mesh (35) | Not reported | 0 | 2 | 3 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 3 | 8 | |
| Nordin 2002 | Mesh (149) | Not reported | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Not reported | 2 | 32 | 46 |
| Non‐mesh (148) | Not reported | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Not reported | 0 | 42 | 48 | |
| Panda 2012 | Mesh (20) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | Not reported | 5 |
| Non‐mesh (20) | 4 | 5 | 0 | 6 | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | Not reported | 15 | |
| Prior 1998 | Mesh (42) | 9 | 7 | Group not specified | Group not specified | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 16 |
| Non‐mesh (38) | 8 | 4 | Group not specified | Group not specified | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 12 | |
| Schmitz 1997 | Mesh (32) | Not reported | 0 | 6 | 0 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 6 |
| Non‐mesh (32) | Not reported | 0 | 4 | 0 | Not reported | Not reported | 1 | Not reported | 5 | |
| Shi 2010 | Mesh (283) | 2 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 3 | Not reported | 5 |
| Non‐mesh (269) | 1 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | Not reported | 3 | |
| van Veen 2007 | Mesh (146) | Not reported | 1 | 15 | 4 | Not reported | 1 | Not reported | 0 | 21 |
| Non‐mesh (143) | Not reported | 0 | 17 | 0 | Not reported | 0 | Not reported | 1 | 18 | |
| Witkowski 2000 | Mesh (70) | Not reported | 2 | 2 | 2 | Not reported | Not reported | 1 | Not reported | 7 |
| Non‐mesh (70) | Not reported | 5 | 5 | 1 | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | Not reported | 13 | |
| Zieren 1998 | Mesh (160) | Not reported | 2 | 11 | 6 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 3 | 22 |
| Non‐mesh (80) | Not reported | 2 | 4 | 1 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 2 | 9 |