A retrospective survey of 152 patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery was carried out to examine factors which may have affected the outcome of surgery. The operative diagnosis and procedure carried out, pre-operative health of the patient, duration of surgery and grade of surgeon were studied to assess whether these factors had any bearing on the eventual outcome. A large variety of surgical emergencies were treated but none of the factors under study were related to the eventual morbidity or mortality recorded. The overall mortality among these patients was 25% which concurs with other studies. The presence of an obstructing cancer of the left colon or upper gastro-intestinal haemorrhage had a particularly poor outcome. Most patients were discharged to their own homes within 3 weeks of admission and they did not comprise an undue burden on the surgical service.