Hernia mesh is surgical mesh. It’s a medical device that looks and feels as it sounds — like a kind of material. Surgeons use this mesh to help to provide extra support when repairing a hernia. Here’s how it works: A hernia happens when weakness in the muscle wall causes tissue or part of an organ to push through. Mesh helps strengthen that weakened muscle wall so it doesn’t happen again. There are two categories of mesh that surgeons use for hernia repair:
Synthetic: Synthetic surgical mesh is human-made.
Animal-derived: This is a type of mesh made from animal tissue, usually from a pig or a cow. It’s cleaned and carefully prepared first so that a surgeon can safely use it.