Periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) is a well established method to treat hip dysplasia in the adult. There is, however, a lack of information on the subjective outcome of patients with complications after PAO. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the influence of complications on the patients' post-operative wellbeing and function: 60 PAOs on 50 patients were investigated retrospectively after a mean follow-up of 7.4 years. The patients' self-reported assessment of health and function was evaluated by the Medical Outcomes Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) questionnaires at last follow-up. Forty healthy persons served as a control group. Of the 60 interventions 13 had no complications. Minor complications occurred in 25 (41%) and in 22 (37%) at least one major complication occurred. SF-36 summary measure was 76.4 for PAO patients and 90.3 for the control group. Mean WOMAC score was 25.1. Patients with major complications had a similar subjective outcome as patients with minor or without complications, but persistent dysaesthesia due to lateral femoral cutaneous nerve dysfunction led to a worse subjective function. Lesions of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve have much greater influence on patients' self-assessed functional outcome after PAO than previously reported and greater attention has to be given to this supposedly minor complication.