I did have a small re-occurring hernia just above my belly button that happened the 1st week of January this year...and the doctor said he could fix the immediate area in day-surgery, but because of the muscle being split, I'd have a 90% chance of it re-occurring again, and so on and so on...he said it would be like climbing a ladder, it would just keep happening.
So he suggested going this route....and now I'll only have a 5% chance of it happening again.
He laid a 6" x 8" piece of mesh in there for good adherence.