Spleen removal

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Red blood cells, target cells

Spleen removal - series

Overview

Recovery

Risks

Spleen removal

Alternative Names:

Splenectomy

Risks:

Risks for any anesthesia include the following:

Reactions to medications
Breathing problems, pneumonia
Heart problems
Blood clots in the legs

Risks for any surgery include the following:

Bleeding
Infection

Additional risks include the following:

Injury to surrounding organs
- Pancreas
- Stomach (rare)
- Colon (rare)
Increased risk for infection after splenectomy (post-splenectomy sepsis or other infections; children are at higher risk than adults for this complication)

Review Date: 4/13/2004
Reviewed By: John A. Daller, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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