In: Anatomy and Physiology
Examine the ramifications of spleen removal.
Spleen is a important organ present in our abdomen.
The main function of spleen is to provide defence mechanism and immunity to body. WBC's are formed in the spleen and thus spleen is very important for our body to fight against infections. After spleen removal, our body is more prone to infections. Defence mechanism of body gets weak because there are less WBC's present. Even small microbial infection could lead to any disease which could have been dealt easily in the presence of spleen. Body gets more prone to infections like streptococcus and neisseria.
Also, spleen also perform function removal and filtration of old RBC's. Accumulation of more rbc's can lead to formation of clot.
Also, during surgical removal of spleen, there are chances of infection and bleeding at the site of incision. At the site of incision, hernia can occur. Infections can spread to nearby structures such as pancreas during surgery.