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Splenectomy is the surgical removal of the spleen, which is an organ that is part of the lymphatic system. The spleen acts in the natural resistance to infection.

Splenectomies are performed for a variety of different reasons and with different degrees of urgency. Most splenectomies are done after the patient has been diagnosed with hypersplenism. Hypersplenism is not a specific disease but a group of symptoms, or syndrome, that can be produced by a number of different disorders. It is characterized by enlargement of the spleen (splenomegaly), defects in the blood cells, and an abnormally high turnover of blood cells. It is almost always associated with splenomegaly caused by specific disorders such as cirrhosis of the liver or certain cancers. The decision to perform a splenectomy depends on the severity and prognosis of the disease that is causing the hypersplenism.

There was a time when the spleen was thought to be inessential to health (like the appendix). Now it is known that people without spleens have a greater risk of severe infection than people with normal spleens. Therefore, doctors try not to remove the spleen unless a splenectomy is either life-saving after injury, or very important in the treatment of a disease that involves the spleen.

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16y ago

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