Two groups of patients operated on for inguinal hernia, one outpatient group and one inpatient group, are compared with respect to subjective distress and immediate postoperative complications. The groups were chosen at random and matched for sex and age. A large number of those who received treatment as outpatients suffered marked distress during the first postoperative days. Some form of intermediary or light nursing should be tried out for the outpatients so that if necessary they can stay the night after operation at the hospital. The number of postoperative complications was equal in the two groups. With suitable patient selection and with a small number of reserve places in a light-care ward, the majority of inguinal hernia operations can be performed on outpatients, resulting in a considerable economic saving and shorter waiting time.