About Nylon Mesh

Nylon mesh is a weave of nylon that looks like the screens on your window and doors. The mesh is used to patch the area. The idea is that if you sew the area back together, there will be tension at the site of repair. In addition, the pressures that led to the hernia in the first place are still present. Together, these factors encourage the hernia to recur. 

Practically speaking, if you have a hole in your pants at the knee, if you just sew it closed, it will recur. As a result, you patch the area. This usually works. The same concept applies to hernia repairs. It is also important to know that a side effect of using mesh is that the pain after the operation will be less. Why? Because there is not as much tension on the tissues and tension causes pain.

Mesh is a foreign material. Should I be concerned?

Any foreign material placed in the body is a potential source for infection. However, years of experience using mesh in inguinal hernia repairs have not shown this to happen often. Hundreds of thousands of cases are performed each year without problem. Unlike silicon breast implants, there are no known effects on the body of having mesh placed in it.