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To analyze severe complications after groin hernia repair with respect to age, ASA score, hernia anatomy, method of repair and method of anesthesia, using nationwide registers. The annual rate of 20 million groin hernia operations throughout the world renders severe complications, although rare, important both for the patient, the clinician, and the health economist. Two nationwide registers, the Swedish Hernia Register and the National Swedish Patient Register were linked to find intraoperative complications, severe cardiovascular events and severe surgical adverse events within 30 days of groin hernia surgery. 143,042 patients, 8 % women and 92 % men, were registered between 2002 and 2011. Intraoperative complications occurred in 801 repair, 592 patients suffered from cardiovascular events and 284 patients from a severe surgical event within 30 days of groin hernia surgery. Emergency operation was a risk factor for both cardiovascular and severe surgical adverse events with odds ratios for cardiovascular events of 3.1 (2.5-4.0) for men and 2.8 (1.4-5.5) for women. Regional anesthesia was associated with an increase in cardiovascular morbidity compared with local anesthesia, odds ratio 1.4 (1.1-1.9). In men, bilateral hernia and sliding hernia approximately doubled the risk for severe surgical events; odds ratio 1.9 (1.1-3.5) and 2.2 (1.6-3.0), respectively. Methods other than open anterior mesh repair increased the risk for surgical complications. Awareness of the increased risk for cardiovascular or surgical complications associated with emergency surgery, bilateral hernia, sliding hernia, and regional anesthesia may enable the surgeon to further reduce their incidence.