237 Shouldice operations with resection of the cremaster muscle from the Department of Surgery of the RWT University of Aachen were compared with 153 Shouldice repairs without resection of the cremaster muscle from the Department of Surgery of the Elizabeth Hospital in Essen. The aim of this prospective controlled trial was to determine the value of the resection of the cremaster muscle in Shouldice's hernia repair. A comparable follow-up of 12 to 26 months in both groups revealed no significant differences in early-postoperative complications. In the group without resection of the cremaster muscle the incidence of chronic inguinal pain was reduced. However, avoidance of the cremaster resection is not advisable because it leads to atypical indirect recurrences and totally higher recurrence rate (2.6%), so four indirect recurrent hernias were diagnosed. In the group with resection of the cremaster muscle no indirect recurrent hernia was detected, only one direct recurrent hernia was documentated. The significantly elevated rate of recurrent hernias (p less than 0.05) and the occurrence of atypical indirect recurrent hernias in the group without resection of the cremaster muscle demonstrates the important influence on the technique of repair. Based on our results the resection of the cremaster muscle is an essential part of Shouldice's hernia repair.