The subject of this study consisted of 266 hernia repairs according to Lotheissen-McVay, carried out during the years 1970-1975. The survey evaluated the outcome of operations on direct and indirect inguinal hernias as well as on femoral hernias, but did not include any review of recurrent hernias. The sole aim of the survey was to evaluate the long-term results after 20 years, since the recurrence rate increases with postoperative duration. Through previous studies, partly involving the same patients, partial results on the recurrence incidence were available. The number of patients that were followed up in our study (158 = 59.4%) was limited primarily owing to the long period of time that had elapsed. This applied especially for hernia repair in older patients, since the higher mortality rate in these cases made it impossible to assess the outcome of the operation. A general total recurrence rate of 13.29% was found, of which 13.33% was for indirect inguinal hernias, 14.75% for direct inguinal hernias and 9.09% for femoral hernias. The group of patients that we reviewed was a typical cross-section of those patients who had received surgical treatment for an inguinal hernia. As far as we are aware, this study carried out more than 20 years after surgery, is the longest study of the recurrence incidence after hernia repair.