Recessed surgical fastening devices

1. A surgical fastening device, comprising:

a compressible member having a top surface and a bottom surface, said member having a vertical axis and a horizontal axis, wherein the compressible member comprises an absorbable polymer foam or an absorbable hydrogel; and,

a fastening element having a vertical axis and being at least partially disposed within the compressible member such that the vertical axis of the fastening element is substantially aligned with the vertical axis of the compressible member, the fastening element having a top and at least one elongated piercing member extending distally from the top, the piercing member having a leg with a proximal end, a distal end, and a piercing point and barb extending from the distal end, the barb configured to engage and lodge in tissue, wherein the top of the fastening element is located adjacent to the top surface of the compressible member, wherein the fastening element is situated within the compressible member such that the at least one piercing member is at least partially contained within the compressible member and configured so that a pressing force applied by a finger directly to the top surface of the compressible member, the top of the fastening element, or both the top surface of the compressible member and the top of the fastening element causes at least part of the distal end of the leg and the piercing point and barb of the at least one piercing member to extend at least partially out from the compressible member to engage and lodge in underlying tissue.

2. The fastening device of claim 1 , wherein the fastening element has two elongated piercing members connected by a bridge member.

3. The fastening device of claim 1 , wherein the compressible member has a generally cylindrical configuration.

4. The fastening device of claim 1 , wherein the fastening element comprises an absorbable polymer.

5. The fastening device of claim 4 , wherein the absorbable polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of homopolymers of glycolide, L(−)-lactide, D(+)-lactide, meso-lactide, trimethylene carbonate, p-dioxanone, and ε-caprolactone and their corresponding copolymers.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the polymer comprises 85/15 poly [L(−)lactide-co-glycolide].

7. The fastening device of claim 1 , wherein the absorbable polymer comprises a polymer selected from the group consisting of polyoxaesters, the homopolymers of glycolide, L(−)-lactide, D(+)-lactide, meso-lactide, trimethylene carbonate, p-dioxanone, and ε-caprolactone, polylactones, polyglycolides, polycaprolactones, polydioxanones, trimethylene carbonates, polyoxaesters, and co-polymers thereof.

8. The fastening device of claim 1 , comprising at least one additional fastening member.

9. The fastening device of claim 1 , wherein the compressible member has a ring-like configuration.

10. The fastening device of claim 9 , wherein the configuration is generally circular.

11. The fastening device of claim 9 , wherein the configuration is generally oval.

12. The fastening device of claim 1 , additionally comprising a cavity in the top surface of the compressible member.

13. A combination comprising a tissue repair mesh and the surgical fastening device of claim 1 .

14. The fastening device of claim 1 , additionally comprising a head member mounted to the top of the fastening element.

15. The fastening device of claim 14 , wherein the head member has a disk-like shape.

16. A combination comprising the fastening device of claim 1 and a surgical suture.

17. The combination of claim 16 , wherein the suture has a surgical needle mounted to at least one end.

18. The device of claim 16 , wherein the suture additionally comprises at least one barb.