Late cutaneous fistula after inguinal hernia repair without prosthesis

Late onset of cutaneous fistulas associated with inguinal hernia repair represents an extremely rare complication that occurs especially after affixing a prosthesis. The authors report a case of a patient developing this complication after a hernia repair (Shouldice's technique), emphasize that the fistula appeared after more than 12 years (the longest interval reported in the literature), and explain how it resolved only with the surgical removal of the suture used for hernia repair. The authors emphasize the aetiology of this complication and stress that it can occur even after a hernia repair without prosthesis.