Most people understand the nature of hernia and know that it is essentially a defect in the fascial layer of the abdominal wall, and they know that only surgery can cure hernia, but they are not sure when it comes to choosing a specific surgical method. At present, there are dozens of mainstream hernia repair surgical methods in clinical application, and some experts usually perform only 1 or 2 of them, so each one says its own good, and people don’t know what to do. The international authority says that there is no one procedure that is best, but only the one that is most suitable for the specific condition of the patient. The factors to be considered in choosing different surgical procedures are complex and varied, and it is necessary to choose specific surgical procedures that are tailored to the specific conditions of different patients: hernia surgery is also about personalization, that is, individualization of surgical plans, including specific surgical procedures, repair materials, anesthesia and individualization of hospitalization arrangements. At present, there are dozens of surgical procedures in the following three main categories: 1. traditional tension hernia repair: among hundreds of surgical procedures, several are still carried out clinically, which are slightly more traumatic, have longer postoperative recovery time, higher chronic pain rate and recurrence rate, and have basically been eliminated and are only applicable to a very small number of patients with special conditions. 2. Tension-free mesh hernia repair: It accounts for more than 80% of all types of hernia repair, and the recurrence rate is much lower than that of traditional hernia repair. It is the mainstream surgical procedure at present, including pre-abdominal transversal fascial repair, mesh plug-flat patch repair and pre-peritoneal repair with anterior approach, posterior approach and median incision approach, etc. There are various surgical methods and repair materials and different indications. At present, the open hernia repair incision carried out by our hernia specialists is already very small and is not significantly different from the trauma of 3 laparoscopic incisions, which can also be called open minimally invasive surgery. 3. Laparoscopic tension-free hernia repair: There are 3 specific laparoscopic surgical approaches, which are slightly less traumatic and painful than tension-free repair, but also have their own risks and contraindications and must be performed under general anesthesia. Internationally, the proportion of people who choose laparoscopic hernia repair is around 15%, but there is a trend of gradual increase. The main anesthesia methods are semi-anesthesia, general anesthesia and local anesthesia, each with its own advantages and disadvantages; hospitalization arrangements include general hospitalization, same-day surgery and special needs surgery, which are suitable for different patient requirements; repair materials include various synthetic materials of different materials, shapes and sizes and various biological materials with different indications. The main factors to be considered when choosing a specific surgical plan are the type and size of the hernia, whether it is recurrent, whether the cause can be controlled, whether there is a high incidence of infection, age, history of marriage and childbirth, general condition, i.e., severity of comorbidities, body mass index, whether it is necessary to return to work as soon as possible, cost of treatment and aesthetic requirements, etc. It is because of the wide variety of conditions, the different focus of the patient’s surgical requirements, and the many factors to consider that individualized treatment plans are needed! Let your hernia specialist, who is well versed in all 18 surgical procedures, customize the procedure for you!