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Is hernia mesh as scary as the internet makes it sound?
I have been doing mesh hernia repairs for 20 years and standard polypropylene mesh has been in use for at least twice that long. As Dr. Towfigh says, that is a huge denominator and most mesh patients do fine. I do not do any non-mesh repairs except in children because the recurrence rate is so high. If your native tissue failed, it was not strong enough to begin with, and if it is sewn back together it’s likely to be less strong. That is why you need mesh if your hernia is going to stay fixed. Although there are few studies about this, there is not likely any increase in pain or other problems with the use of mesh. In fact, the reason surgeons all use mesh to fix hernias is that the studies have overwhelmingly show better results with mesh.
There have been two major problems with mesh use that resulted in class action suits: one is using mesh transvaginally for incontinence which was, in retrospect, not a great idea. The other involves a mesh product that had a plastic ring which, on occasion, broke and caused bowel injuries. That has nothing to do with mesh, it was a poor product design.
I personally have implanted thousands of pieces of mesh and have seen very few problems. Like anything else, it has to be done correctly and you want an experienced surgeon fixing your hernia. Outside of that, I would not worry too much about mesh. If your surgeon is getting good results with their technique, you will probably get a good result.