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Infection and Removal of the Spleen

The spleen is an organ that removes old or damaged blood cells and is part of the lymphatic system; it helps your body fight against infection. It is located above your abdomen and under your ribcage.

  1. Causes of Infection

    • There are different types of infections that can affect the spleen, including viral infections (mononucleosis), bacterial infections (syphilis) and parasitic infections (malaria).

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of infection in the spleen include abdominal pain, fatigue and feeling full after eating a small amount of food.

    Diagnosis

    • If your doctor suspects that infection has affected your spleen, he can feel the spleen during a physical exam (the spleen would be swollen and can be felt under the ribcage), take blood tests or order a computer tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen.

    Treatment

    • Although infections can often be treated with antibiotics, sometimes surgery to remove the spleen is necessary. The spleen can be removed through open surgery (a large incision) or laparoscopically (three to four small cuts on the belly).

    Recovery

    • You may need to stay in the hospital for a week after open surgery or one or two days after laparoscopic surgery. You should be completely healed within a few weeks, but because you will be less able to fight infection, discuss with your doctor whether vaccinations may be required.

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