The hospital stay of 55 patients, 47 males and 8 females, admitted to hospital for surgical repair of inguinal (53 procedures) and crural (4 procedures) hernias was analyzed. The mean age was 60.7 years (range from 25 to 82 years), local anesthesia was the method of choice (55 procedures), it has suppressed post-anesthetic respiratory and urinary troubles. The mean hospital stay was 1.18 days. One superficial skin hematoma and 1 wound infection were found, local anesthetic intolerance occurred in 1 case, and low fever in three cases. Over 90 percent of patients were favourable to short stay surgery for hernia repair at 30 days follow-up. The authors conclude on the feasibility, acceptability, social benefits and usefulness of short stay and day care surgery for hernia repair.