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Laparoscopic splenectomy

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Abstract

We describe the clinical course of 23 patients considered for laparoscopic splenectomy. One patient was excluded on the basis of preoperative angiography findings, and two (9%) were converted to open surgery. In the remaining 20 patients who successfully underwent laparoscopic splenectomy, no mortality was reported; four postoperative complications (20% morbidity) occurred. Mean operating time was 3 h 35 min (135–300 min). After a mean postoperative stay of 3.9 days (2–9 days), all patients except two were back to normal activities within 2 weeks of hospital discharge. Preoperative splenic artery embolization, begun with the third patient, helped to reduce operative blood loss and made the procedure easier to perform. Laparoscopic splenectomy has become our procedure of choice for elective removal of normalsized (<11 cm long) or moderately enlarged (11–20 cm long) spleens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Hôpital du Saint-Sacrement, Université Laval, 1050 Chemin Ste-Foy, G1S 4L8, Québec, Canada

    E. C. Poulin & C. Thibault

  2. Department of Surgery, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, McGill University, H4A 3L6, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    J. Mamazza

Authors
  1. E. C. Poulin
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  2. C. Thibault
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  3. J. Mamazza
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Poulin, E.C., Thibault, C. & Mamazza, J. Laparoscopic splenectomy. Surg Endosc 9, 172–177 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00191961

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00191961

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