The authors guided by their personal experience (612 abdominal hernioplasties performed between 1992 and 1998) after using for the cure of inguinal and femoral hernias diverse prosthesis illustrate the characteristics of the polipropilene prosthesis which in their opinion possesses every requirement necessary to enable it to become the defining ideal prosthesis. The authors underline again the use of this routinely applied prosthesis, also in a local anaesthesia it has favoured the development of the tension-free and suture-less technique which hes allowed hernioplasty to spread in day-surgery.