Splenectomy Research Paper

Although small in size the spleen is a very busy organ. Despite the advances made in medicine there are some unknown aspects of the mysterious organ, but it is known to provide important services that benefit the body. There are several diseases and injuries that lead to what is called a splenectomy, the surgical removal of the spleen. A splenectomy is performed to diagnose and provide treatment to benign or malignant masses, torsion, rupture caused by some type of trauma or tumor, severe infection, thrombosis, and although not as common immune-meditated anemia. In many cases, patients that are diagnosed with splenic disease have very few subtle or even no clinical signs specific to indicate a splenectomy. When patients appear at the clinic

Monitoring the patient throughout the procedure and post-op while the patient is recovering is critical, complications can arise such as hemorrhage and cardiac arrhythmias that could need immediate treatment. The spleen is always busy performing many useful functions in the body like blood filtering and immune functions however it is not considered a vital organ and pets can live a normal healthy life without it. A major benefit of the spleen is its ability to store blood, “the body’s natural blood bank” because of the large amounts of red blood cells running through the vessels at all times. When blood is needed in the body due to severe trauma or hemorrhage from a ruptured tumor, the involuntary splenic muscles will contract to release a fresh supply of blood, performing natures blood transfusion. As red blood cells become old they rupture making their way throughout the spleen the iron is grabbed and recycled off the cells which are the

Biologic insults including masses, splenomegaly and torsion happen much more frequently then traumatic insults. When torsion occurs the stomach twists causing the spleen to twist on itself since it’s attached to the stomach, when twisted it compromises the blood supply. Torsion is more commonly associated with gastric dilatation-volvulus, occurring more often in large deep chested dogs, it is not recommended to untwist the spleen because it could release any toxins built up into the circulatory system. There are two types of masses, benign and malignant, with neither one showing obvious signs. In several cases the mass isn’t detected for months or until the mass ruptures causing hemorrhage into the abdominal cavity and the patient becomes critical at a rapid speed and infection can be caused by the substances that are normally filtered out by the spleen. Splenomegaly is an enlargement of the spleen which can be caused by several conditions such as torsion and masses and is more commonly seen in cats. Traumatic insults are less common but is possible to produce a more life-threatening situation. The spleen is the second most commonly injured organ in the abdomen, when a traumatic incident occurs the spleen will contract and release a large amount of red blood cells, making it