Prevention and management of complications of laparoscopic splenectomy

Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) has become a commonly performed minimal-access operation. With increasing experience, surgeons are undertaking LS for multiple pathologies and tackling spleens of diverse sizes. LS remains a challenging procedure to be performed by experienced laparoscopic surgeons, well supported by a team. Bleeding remains the commonest intraoperative complication and perhaps the commonest reason for conversion to a laparotomy. Although the incidence of postoperative complications following LS is lower than that after open splenectomy, thrombosis of the splenoportal axis is being increasingly recognised. The present review describes both the common as well as uncommon intraoperative and postoperative complications of LS and outlines measures to be taken for their prevention and management.