Splenectomy is a surgical procedure to remove your spleen. The spleen is an organ that sits under your rib cage on the upper left side of your abdomen. It helps fight infection and filters unneeded material, such as old or damaged blood cells.
The most common reason for splenectomy is to treat a ruptured spleen, often caused by an abdominal injury. Splenectomy may be used to treat other conditions, including an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly), some blood disorders, certain cancers, infection, and noncancerous cysts or tumors.
Splenectomy is most commonly performed using a tiny video camera and special surgical tools (laparoscopic splenectomy). With this type of surgery, you may be able to leave the hospital the same day and recover fully in two weeks.
Feb. 24, 2016
- AskMayoExpert. Spleen disorders and splenectomy. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2014.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Preparing for surgery to remove your child's spleen. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- Barbara Woodward Lips Patient Education Center. Splenectomy: Spleen removal. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2014.
- Taner T, et al. Splenectomy for massive splenomegaly: Long-term results and risks for mortality. Annals of Surgery. 2013;258:1034.
- Yeo CJ, ed. Splenectomy for conditions other than trauma. In: Shackelford's Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2013.
- Rubin LG, et al. Care of the asplenic patient. New England Journal of Medicine. 2014;371:349.
- Edgren G, et al. Splenectomy and the risk of sepsis: A population-based cohort study. Annals of Surgery. 2014;260:1081.
.