Study design Randomised controlled, double blinded, multi-centre trial. 300 consecutive patients with an umbilical hernia will be included in the study. Patients will be randomised in one of two groups of 150 patients each. Group 1 will include patients that will undergo primary (suture) repair; group 2 umbilical hernias will be repaired using a pre-peritoneal, flat polypropylene mesh in a tension free fashion.