Parastomal hernia formation is common following formation of an abdominal stoma, with the risk of subsequent incarceration, obstruction and strangulation. Current treatment options include non-operative management, stoma relocation and fascial repair with or without mesh. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of open mesh repair of a parastomal hernia and to compare open non-mesh fascial repair with mesh techniques of parastomal hernia repair. Electronic databases were searched for studies comparing the two surgical techniques in accordance with preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The primary outcome of the study was the comparison of recurrence rates of parastomal hernia for each technique. Secondary outcomes included comparison of mortality, wound infection, mesh infection and any other complication. Twenty-seven studies of parastomal hernia repair were included and divided into two subgroups for open mesh repair and non-mesh fascial repair. Non-mesh fascial repair resulted in a high recurrence rate (around 50%). Reported recurrence rates for mesh repair were substantially lower, at 7.9-14.8%, depending on the position of the mesh in relation to the abdominal fascia and the length of follow-up. Morbidity and mortality did not differ significantly between the techniques used to repair a parastomal hernia. This study shows that mesh repair of a parastomal hernia is safe and significantly reduces the rate of recurrence compared with sutured repair, which should only be used in exceptional circumstances. There is insufficient evidence to determine which mesh technique (onlay, sublay or underlay) is most successful in terms of recurrence rates and morbidity.