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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffSplenectomy is generally a safe procedure. But as with any surgery, splenectomy carries the potential risk of complications.
Potential complications include:
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
- Infection
- Injury to other organs nearby, including your stomach, pancreas and colon
Long-term risk of infection
After spleen removal, you're more likely to contract serious or even life-threatening infections. Following splenectomy, your doctor may recommend you receive a pneumonia vaccine and yearly flu vaccines. In some cases, preventive antibiotics may be recommended as well, especially if you have other conditions that increase your risk of serious infections.
References
- Splenomegaly. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology_and_oncology/spleen_disorders/splenomegaly.html. Accessed May 15, 2012.
- Landaw SA, et al. Approach to the adult patient with splenomegaly and other splenic disorders. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed May 15, 2012.
- Hoffman R, et al. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06715-0..X5001-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-443-06715-0&uniqId=230100505-56. Accessed May 15, 2012.
- Maurus CF. Laparoscopic versus open splenectomy for nontraumatic diseases. World Journal of Surgery. 2008;32:2444.
- Townsend CM Jr, et al. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice. 19th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-6/0/1565/0.html. Accessed May 15, 2012.
- Patient information for laparoscopic spleen removal (splenectomy) from SAGES. Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons. http://www.sages.org/publications/publication.php?id=PI12. Accessed May 15, 2012.
- Cadili A, et al. Complications of splenectomy. The American Journal of Medicine. 2008;121:371.
- Mesa RA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 4, 2012.
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