The spleen is a fist-sized organ in the upper left abdomen. It is part of the immune system and is responsible for filtering the blood and fighting germs and infections. The overall health of the spleen also affects the blood's average levels of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Under certain circumstances, surgical removal of the spleen is a treatment option or medical necessity.
Blood-related Diseases
The surgical procedure for removal of the spleen is called a splenectomy. According to the Society for American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES), the most common reason for a splenectomy is a condition called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). If you suffer from this condition, you will experience an unusually low platelet count leading to deficiencies in your body's normal blood-clotting abilities. If these deficiencies become significant, you may develop symptoms including easy or excessive bruising or bleeding. If these symptoms become critical, splenectomy may be used to halt platelet destruction.
Splenectomy may also be used to fight other blood-related diseases, including thalassemia major, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) and hairy cell leukemia.
Traumatic Injury
You may also receive a splenectomy to treat traumatic injury to your spleen. In the past, this type of injury was treated through surgery as standard medical practice, but advances in other treatment methods now give doctors more choices. If you suffer a spleen injury that does not require an immediate splenectomy, you may be hospitalized for several days, while your doctors assess your spleen's function. If possible, they will treat your injury through non-surgical means. However, the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract cites a number of factors that may ultimately lead physicians to choose splenectomy. These include significant bleeding inside your abdominal cavity; decreasing concentrations of the red blood cell protein, hemoglobin; and the need for a blood transfusion of more than two units.
Hodgkin's Lymphoma
If you suffer from Stage 1-A or 2-A Hodgkin's lymphoma, you may require a surgical procedure called a staging laparoscopy or staging laparotomy. The purpose of this procedure is to gauge the extent of your lymphoma, but typically this cannot be done without first eliminating the spleen as a potential contributing factor to your condition. Splenectomy is the standard way to make this elimination possible.
Surgical Accidents
In some cases, damage to the spleen is caused inadvertently while other surgical procedures are performed. If this is true in your case, your surgeon may try several methods besides splenectomy to control this damage. These include cauterization (sealing through burning), use of an argon beam to encourage your blood to coagulate and special absorbable mesh. If these methods fail, splenectomy may be the only feasible option.
Additional Reasons
You may also receive a splenectomy for a number of other reasons, including the presence of abscesses or cysts or certain forms of localized hypertension. In addition, splenectomy may be a necessary result of removal of other nearby organs, including the stomach, pancreas and large intestine. Consult your doctor for more information on the reasons for spleen removal.
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