The search for ideal hernia repair; mesh materials and types

Hernia surgery continues to draw the attention of surgeons, patients, and the industry. This strong interest has driven the establishment of professional medical societies with the sole purpose of furthering the understanding of hernias and hernia repair. In the more than 100 years of development, industry has played a major role in advancing the technology to perfect the performance of hernia repair with the hope of establishing the "best" technique and its associated technology. However, with the development of newer prosthetics and approaches to hernia repair, many surgeons do not fully understand the properties of the available prosthetics. The goal of this review is to highlight the different types of meshes in an effort to clarify to surgeons what types of materials are available to them and how to select an appropriate one for a given case.