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The Spleen

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The Shock Trauma Manual of Operative Techniques

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Abstract

The spleen is one of the most commonly injured organs following blunt trauma. The injured spleen is a major source of morbidity and mortality and can be rapidly fatal if hemostasis is not achieved early. Up to one-third of patients with injured spleens proceed directly to the operating room for surgical exploration. Patients who have had splenectomy are at risk for the usual morbidities of laparotomy such as incisional hernia and small bowel obstruction. Additionally, they are at increased risk for overwhelming sepsis syndromes due to asplenia. Nonoperative management also has risks including failure of nonoperative management, delayed hemorrhage, splenic infarction and abscess, and complications of angiography, if used. Given the common nature of the injury and the risks with all forms of management, the trauma surgeon must be well versed in the techniques required to care for this disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Matthew E. Lissauer M.D.

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  1. Matthew E. Lissauer M.D.
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Trauma, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Thomas M. Scalea

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Lissauer, M.E. (2015). The Spleen. In: Scalea, T. (eds) The Shock Trauma Manual of Operative Techniques. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2371-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2371-7_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-2370-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-2371-7

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