Splenectomy: An Overview
The spleen is a blood-filled organ in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen that plays a vital role in your immune system. It has three main functions: store blood cells, filter old and damaged blood cells, and produce antibodies to help fight infection.
Why Should My Spleen Be Removed?
There are several conditions that require the spleen to be removed. At Austin Surgeons, our board-certified general surgeons are experts in performing laparoscopic splenectomy procedures.
Your doctor may recommend spleen removal for one of the following reasons:
Ruptured, overactive or enlarged spleen
The spleen can become enlarged and overactive, destroying too many blood cells.
A ruptured spleen, most commonly due to injury or trauma, is a medical emergency because of life-threatening risk of internal bleeding.
Blood disorders
Certain blood disorders require spleen removal if medical therapy has failed. The most common blood disorders requiring spleen removal include immune thrombocytopenia purpura, thalassemia, hereditary spherocytosis, and autoimmune hemolysis.
Malignancy
Some forms of cancer (lymphoma and certain types of leukemia) or large cysts require spleen removal.
What Should I Expect During a Splenectomy?
During a laparoscopic splenectomy, multiple small incisions are made in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen. A laparoscopic camera is used to visualize the abdominal cavity which allows for precise manipulation of the spleen, its attachments to surrounding structures (diaphragm, stomach, colon, and left kidney) and blood vessels. Your surgeon will release the spleen from its attachments using small operating instruments and place it into a special bag. The spleen is then broken into small pieces and removed through one of the incision sites. The incision sites are closed with dissolvable suture material under the skin.
In some cases, the spleen is too large for laparoscopic removal and an open approach is used to remove the spleen through a single large incision. Your surgeon will discuss the best surgical approach with you prior to surgery.
Splenectomy Recovery
Following surgery, you will remain in the hospital for 1-3 days depending on the complexity of your procedure. You may experience abdominal wall soreness that feels like a strained muscle or an uncomfortable referred pain to the left shoulder for a few days after surgery. It is also normal to feel pain at the incision site for 7-10 days. Most patients are out of work for 2-3 weeks and you will be advised to avoid strenuous activity for 4 weeks after a splenectomy.
All surgeries have complication risks such as bleeding and infection. Splenectomy risks can also include injury to adjacent organs (colon, stomach and pancreas), hernia formation, blood clots and pulmonary hypertension.
Living without a spleen leaves you with a compromised immune system and a higher risk of infection. Without the spleen present, certain bacterial infections can overwhelm the immune system and cause overwhelming post-splenectomy sepsis. This rare event has a high mortality rate with delayed or inadequate treatment. Fortunately, there are vaccines that can protect against these types of bacterial infections. Your surgeon will discuss these precautions with you prior to surgery.
Splenectomy procedures can not only treat health conditions that have failed to respond to medical therapy – they can also be lifesaving. At Austin Surgeons we can help determine if surgery is appropriate for you.
To learn more about splenectomy or to make an appointment, visit austinsurgeons.net or call 512-467-7151.
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