splenectomy
Last reviewed 01/2018
Splenectomy is the removal of the spleen.
This can occur in three different ways:
- planned, where prophylactic measures can be used to prevent later complications
- traumatic, where the spleen is damaged in an accident or during surgery and so needs removal; no prophylaxis has taken place before the removal
- autosplenectomy, which refers to the physiological - but not anatomical - loss of the spleen, occurring in some conditions, for example sickle cell anaemia where chronic damage to the spleen results in atrophy