Negative pressure therapies (NPWT) are a widely known tool in current surgical practice. They are mainly used in acute and chronic wounds, where they are purported to help accelerate the healing process through the creation of an ideal environment for scarring. Those mechanisms include sub-atmospheric pressure in the wound bed, bacteria cleaning, stimulation of tissue factors, and mechanical deformation of the cells that promote angiogenesis and cell division. The different uses in abdominal wall hernia surgery (AWHS) are mainly related to surgical complications, but recent studies have noted that the prophylactic use of closed NPWT systems on healthy surgical wounds helps improve their complication indexes. NPWT indications in hernia surgery are associated with the temporary closing of the abdominal cavity due to wound complications derived from hernia repairs, such as the second intention closing or the open abdomen management with fascial traction, and also in the context of a chronic prosthetic infection to try to save the surgical mesh. NPWTs are therapies all surgeons must know, especially if they perform abdominal wall surgeries. The general principles of the operation and placement to select the correct equipment, depending on the type of wound, should be mastered to be able to use the process correctly when indicated.