The risk for developing postoperative complications increases with the degree of surgical trauma, an altered wound healing capability of the patient due to comorbidities and environmental conditions and the selection of an inadequate implant material, the latter offering options for improvement at least in some patients. In general a mesh with large pores made of monofilaments provides a reduced surface area and causes less scarring and inflammation than those with small pores and thereby reduces the rate of scar contraction, pain and the challenge to explant a mesh from a scar bed. When placing the mesh in the abdominal cavity an additional surface coating of polypropylene should prevent the formation of a fistula between mesh and bowel. The risk of recurrence mainly depends on the extent of overlap; however, the flexibility of some meshes may increase the technical difficulties of some implants. In cases of bacterial contamination of the wound there is an increased risk for late onset mesh infection and monofilament meshes offer the best option for complete healing by conservative means. An impaired function of the spermatic cord because of the material, apart from the consequences of the surgical trauma, has not been confirmed in experimental and clinical studies. Revision of mesh sites always is a surgical challenge but could be much easier with implants which are visible in computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans.