Laparoscopic splenectomy

PubMed, the Internet portal of biomedical and life sciences literature, indexed an interesting article, entitled “Laparoscopic splenectomy: a selected retrospective review” (Surg Laparosc Endosc Percutan Tech. 2005 Jun;15(3):139-43). Authors are Pomp A, Gagner M, Salky B et al. from the Department of Surgery, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, USA. Previous investigators have suggested that laparoscopic splenectomy should be the procedure of choice for the treatment of benign hematologic disorders unresponsive to medical therapy. To evaluate the safety and utility of laparoscopic splenectomy for a variety of splenic disorders, authors reviewed their collective experience. A total of 131 patients had laparoscopic splenectomy and there were 8 conversions to open surgery. Pathology included 63 with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), 23 malignancies, 12 thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), 10 autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and 23 others. Accessory spleens were noted in 21 patients (16%). Laparoscopic splenectomy permits an appropriate abdominal exploration and is associated with a short hospital stay. It is the procedure of choice for most indications for splenectomy. To access the full abstract of the article, click here.