In ASA-I and -II patients, a substantial proportion of individuals can be surgically treated in an outpatient clinic setting with no disadvantages regarding high surgical quality and favourable outcome. Data from the national H-med indicated a much lower percentage of such patients than internationally reported and, in addition, a disproportionately high rate of endoscopic procedures. Moreover, reimbursement for hernia repair in an outpatient clinic setting is much worse in Germany compared with international standards, and, interestingly, there is by a factor of 1/3 an above average number of hospital beds in Germany compared with the OECD countries.