Hernioplasty (mesh repair) is a surgical procedure in which instead of stitching the muscle opening shut, the surgeon covers it with a flat, sterile mesh, usually made of flexible plastics, such as polypropylene, or animal tissue. Small cuts are made around the hole in the shape of the mesh and then surgeon stitches the patch into the healthy, intact surrounding tissues. Damaged or weak tissues surrounding the hernia will use the mesh, as a supportive, strengthening scaffold as they regrow. Hernioplasty is also known as tension-free hernia repair.