The incidence of incisional hernia was high after aortic aneurysm repair, but was lower in patients who had a transverse incision.

Wandering spleens are rare. They represent free-floating splenic tissue on abnormally long mesenteries which are prone to intermittent axial twisting, causing characteristic pain. The condition is distinct from ectopia (development of splenic tissue in unusual sites) in that a normally situated spleen is absent.

The Portsmouth predictor equation for mortality equation seems to be a more accurate predictor of mortality in gastrointestinal surgery. It would seem to provide the best choice for analyzing operative mortality rates for individual surgeons, taking into account variation in case mix and fitness of patients even when scored retrospectively. This has important implications for the future assessment of surgeons' clinical standards and the assessment of quality of surgical care.

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