A retrospective study of 56 patients with a basal cell carcinoma of the lid, seen at the Orbital Center between 1981 and 1989, is presented. In 31 patients an eye-saving, histopathologically confirmed, radical excision of the tumor was performed. The patients routinely had an 18-month follow-up period for the detection of recurrences. The necessity of this follow-up time after proven radical excision is questioned.