I really wish there was a technically, legal, blah blah way to repair them from the manufacturer. I will tell you, at least here in MN, for any sort of recommendations for ANYONE, and legally for daycare (center or home based) we are required to do a monthly checklist inspection of them. If there is ANY sort of tear or snipped spot of any miniscule size...they are trash and we can not use them.
Seems like such a waste to me if there were a reasonable regulation (holes smaller than, say a dime, and could be reparied with some authorized, investigated methodology, such as the descriptions you recieved here, etc (made into a kit available perhaps?)
But they do it as they can't predict if you will repair it the right or same way each instance, and if the material , like a patch, could come off and a child could choke on it, or they could loosen it and get a "foothold" in that spot and use it to climb out or tip the bed over (many use them for containment sleeping on kids technically too large for them, etc).
So just some thoughts from a person regulated into making them trash at this point, and very torn (no pun intended :-) on that being the only option for me!