Lipomas are rare, subserosal, usually solitary, pedunculated small lesions appearing mainly in the large intestine with a minimal malignancy potential. They usually run asymptomatic and become symptomatic when they become enlarged or complicated causing intestinal obstruction, perforation, intusucception or massive bleeding. In rare cases they can be self-detached and expulsed via the rectum as fleshy masses. This event mainly occurs in large, pendunculated lipomas which detach from their pedicle. The reason for this event remains in most of cases unclear although in some cases a predisposing factor does exist. Abdominal pain and obstructive ileus may be observed while in many cases bleeding occurs. The expulsed mass sets the diagnosis and in most of the cases all symptoms subside. Diagnosis is rarely established before surgery with the use of barium enema, computed tomography and colonoscopy which additionally provides measures of treatment and diagnosis. In atypical cases though, in cases where the malignancy can not be excluded or in complicated cases, surgery is recommended. Usually the resection of the affected intestinal part is adequate. If during surgery a lipoma is encountered simple lipomatectomy seems also to be adequate.

Two patients with omental torsion, who presented with acute abdomen, are reported. The first case, a 14-yearold boy, was admitted for acute appendicitis. During surgery, omental torsion on the long axis was diagnosed and the involved omentum was resected. The patient had not experienced any previous abdominal surgery. The second case, a 49-year-old man, was admitted with symptoms of acute abdomen. Similarly, a laparotomy revealed omental torsion around the long axis. This patient also had no history of previous abdominal surgery. The involved portion of the omentum was also resected. Omental torsion is a rare cause of acute abdomen in children and adults, who may present with various signs and symptoms mimicking other etiologies of acute abdomen. A preoperative diagnosis may therefore be difficult and it usually can only be established during surgery.

The results of the 3-year follow-up in the given patient sample alleviate the initial enthusiasm regarding the use of an absorbable mesh for inguinal hernia repair as an attractive alternative and causes skepticism about the generalized use of the procedure in its certain form.

A 63-year-old female presented to our department complaining of epigastric pain, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms started after a significant loss of weight and persisted despite treatment, leading to hospitalization for dehydration and renal failure due to protracted vomiting. During hospitalization, no pathology could be identified and the patient was discharged. Symptoms persisted and she was eventually readmitted. Superior mesenteric artery syndrome was diagnosed based upon clinical suspicion and barium studies. She was subjected to duodenojejunostomy after failure of conservative treatment. Her immediate postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was well during her two-year follow-up. Clinicians should be suspicious of superior mesenteric artery syndrome, albeit rare, and be aware of its treatment, which is either conservative or surgical.

Open inguinal hernia repair with the use of polyglycolic acid-trimethylene absorbable mesh proved efficient in the given patient sample. Further studies with a larger number of patients and longer follow up are needed in order to confirm the possible favourable effects of this mesh type.