The authors evaluate retrospectively after a two-year interval the results of laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty (L.I.H.) in an initial group of 49 patients (52 hernias) operated by three surgeons using the method of transabdominal preperitoneal plastic operation (TAPP) in 1993, 1994 and 1995. They confirmed the expected favourable results, except for the very high incidence of relapses (6.7%). In view of the small number of patients other conclusions cannot be drawn except analyse the three early failures of L.I.H., indicate technical mistakes made when introducing the new operation and emphasize the necessity to adhere to the known basic technical details when performing this relatively pretentious laparoscopic operation.