ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Historically, the treatment of hernias first consisted of simple suture repair. Unsatisfactory recurrence rates with simple approximation forced surgeons to search for better techniques. These failures bred the concept of using a biomaterial to bridge the fascial gap. Several metallic mesh biomaterials were developed over a 60-year period beginning with silver wire in 1900. Because of corrosion and metal fatigue, these metallic biomaterials were abandoned in favor of polymer blends. Francis Usher first introduced a wovenmonofilament polypropylene mesh in 1959 [1]. The newer permutations of polypropylene and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), which were introduced in the 1970s, are the most common biomaterials used for herniorrhaphy in the United States today. Current data have clearly demonstrated the superiority of mesh-based hernia repair and its association with lower recurrence rates [2-5]. Despite their widespread use and relative safety, prosthetic biomaterials are still associated with troublesome complications.
