Laparoscopic splenectomy is the gold standard procedure to remove the spleen in elective patient, but remains a very delicate procedure due to fragility of parenchyma and capsule of the spleen and its close connections with stomach, pancreas and colon.
The surgery is done using several small incisions (cuts) in the abdomen (the area below the ribcage and above the belly button). The incisions are closed with dissolvable stitches and tape (steri-strips). The surgery usually takes about 3 to 5 hours.
Removing your spleen is a major surgery and leaves you with a compromised immune system. For these reasons, it's only performed when truly necessary. The benefits of a splenectomy are that it can resolve several health issues such as blood diseases, cancer, and infection that could not be treated any other way.
