What is the spleen?
Located in the upper left side of the abdomen above the stomach and beneath the ribs, the spleen is a fist sized spongy organ that performs several critical functions:
- Acts as a blood filter that removes bacteria, parasites, and other organisms.
- Makes and stores blood and platelets
- Removes old and damaged blood cells
- Helps to prevent infection by producing the white blood cells called lymphocytes
- Controls the amount of blood in your body
Why is spleen removal necessary?
These are several reasons that might make it necessary to surgically remove a person’s spleen.
- blood diseases such as idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura and hereditary spherocytosis, elliptocytosis, and thalassemia.
- Hemolytic anemia (a condition that breaks down red blood cells)
- Cancers of the cells which fight infection, known as lymphoma
- Certain types of leukemia
- Splenic abscess
- Benign or cancerous tumors
- Trauma or rupture of the spleen
- Infarct or aneurism of the artery to the spleen’s
What is a laparoscopic Splenectomy?
The surgical removal of the spleen is called a Splenectomy. Whenever possible, the Surgical Consultants of Hollywood Florida surgeons perform a splenectomy using minimally invasive laparoscopic techniques. During the procedure, the patient is under general anesthesia. A laparoscope is introduced into the abdomen through a tiny incision and the spleen is located. Additional instruments are introduced into the abdomen through several additional tiny incisions. In about 15% of people small accessory spleens are present which must also be located and removed along with the main spleen. The spleen is detached, broken into small pieces and removed through one of the small incisions.
When the spleen is removed, other organs such as the liver take over some of its functions. However, people are more susceptible to infection without a spleen and may require special immunizations before surgery and long-term antibiotic therapy afterward.