Are meshes with lightweight construction strong enough?

The use of mesh has become essential in the repair of abdominal wall incisional hernias. Suture techniques, reapplied after failure of a primary repair, are characterized by recurrence rates of up to 50 percent, whereas the reinforcement of the abdominal wall with surgical mesh has significantly decreased these rates to <10 percent. This article describes the background for the development of mesh with lightweight construction and physiological biomechanical performance.