and stable in a planar layer to facilitate the surgeon 39 s ability to secure the planar mesh member and thereby repair the damaged hernia area at the same time the resilient member protects the protruding bowels from stabbing while the planar mesh member is being fixed in place the use of the device according to this invention allows the attenuated fascia to overlap the planar mesh member and to be sutured to the upper layer of the planar mesh member towards both center and the periphery as a result the planar mesh member can be securely aligned in place with the bowel being protected from needle stabbing a device according to the present invention may contain an unobstructed outer border area that can be used by a surgeon for placing sutures or staples to repair the damaged surrounding tissue each embodiment of the invention described herein may be covered or impregnated with one or more antimicrobial agents although embodiments of the device according to the present invention are described to have planar mesh members the same invention may be implemented with planar members made of various currently known and future woven and non woven materials some of such materials that are currently available are polypropylene polyethylene nylon and polytetrafluroethylene and other materials the resilient members according to the present invention may be made of rubber as well as any of the many currently available and future resilient materials such as various silicone based materials other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description of the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings it is understood that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration and are not.