The treatment of large incisional hernias is often difficult, as reflected by the many surgical techniques proposed and the high recurrence rate. Since 1983, the authors have used a skin lacing procedure in these large hernias which frequently tend to recur. This report was based on the study of 30 consecutively patients operated by this method between 1983 and 1989. The objective results evaluated clinically in terms of the quality of the abdominal wall after more than two years of follow-up appear to argue in favour of this little known technique which combines simplicity, rapidity and reliability. Based on their experience, the authors believe that this method has a place in the therapeutic arsenal for abdominal wall repair as, in some cases, it can resolve the difficult problem of treatment of large, recurrent incisional hernias regardless of the patient's age.