Where is spleen

Surgery is only necessary if the enlarged spleen is causing serious complications or the cause cannot be found. You may need an operation to remove your spleen, known as a splenectomy, if it's not working properly or it's damaged, diseased or enlarged. If there's time, you'll be advised to have certain vaccinations before the operation. This is because spleen removal weakens your immune system and can make you more likely to get an infection. Most operations to remove spleens are carried out using keyhole surgery laparoscopy.

Keyhole spleen removal allows a surgeon to get inside your tummy abdomen to your spleen without having to make large cuts. This means you'll have less scarring and may recover from the operation more quickly. But you'll still need a general anaesthetic. Open surgery is where one large cut is made. It may be needed if your spleen is too large or too damaged to be removed using keyhole surgery. Often, in emergencies, this is the preferred method.

You'll need a general anaesthetic and may need to stay in hospital for a few days to recover. It's normal to feel sore and be bruised after a splenectomy, but you'll be given pain relief. Like any operation, spleen removal carries a small risk of complications, including bleeding and infection. You should be given breathing and leg exercises to do at home to reduce your risk of getting a blood clot or a chest infection.

Another risk is the surgical wound becoming infected. If you spot any signs of infection , contact your GP or hospital immediately, as you may need antibiotics. Recovery usually takes a few weeks. Your doctor or nurse will advise when you can go back to your usual activities, such as driving.

If your spleen needs to be removed, other organs, such as the liver, can take over many of the spleen's functions. This means you'll still be able to cope with most infections. Diagnosis and Tests. Treatments and Therapies. Clinical Trials. Article: Quantitative splenic embolization possible: application of 8Spheres conformal microspheres in partial Spleen Diseases -- see more articles.

Find an Expert. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Enlarged spleen Open pop-up dialog box Close. Enlarged spleen The spleen is a small organ usually about the size of your fist. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Bona R.

Evaluation of splenomegaly and other splenic disorders. Accessed April 22, Merck Manual Professional Version. Spleen disorders. Your spleen also plays an important part in your immune system, which helps your body fight infection. Just as it detects faulty red blood cells, your spleen can pick out any unwelcome micro-organisms like bacteria or viruses in your blood.

When one of these invaders is detected in your bloodstream, your spleen, along with your lymph nodes, jumps to action and creates an army of defender cells called lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that produces antibodies, special proteins that weaken or kill bacteria, viruses, and other organisms that cause infection.

Antibodies and white blood cells also stop infections from spreading through the body by trapping germs and destroying them. As you've seen, your spleen is a very useful organ, but it is not vital. Sometimes, a person's spleen does have to be surgically removed. This may be because the spleen becomes injured, or it may be taken out in the course of transplanting other organs. Other parts of your body, like your lymph nodes and your liver , are able to step in and take over many of your spleen's functions.

Because the spleen is so important to your immune system, people without spleens are more vulnerable to infections. This is why your doctor may tell you to take extra precautions, such as getting vaccinations, once your spleen has been removed.

You will also be prescribed oral antibiotics to take daily; this is another way to prevent infection. Still, it's not uncommon to be without a spleen, and many people are able to enjoy full lives without one. Learn more about the liver and its functions.

Jan Blice Phone: Email: joanne. Renee Brown-Bakewell Phone: Email: renee. Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood.