[Injuries of the spleen: conservative treatment or exeresis?]

The authors report their experience with splenic preservation in a series of 36 patients. 77 patients with splenic injury were seen during the period from 1982 to 1987. In 41 cases splenectomy had to be carried out. This was for splenic contusions secondary to road traffic accidents in 36 cases and iatrogenic per-operative lesions in 5 cases. Intra-omental splenic autotransplantation was performed in 4 cases. In 36 other patients, the spleen was able to be preserved. Hemostasis was fairly obtained using infra-red photocoagulation (24 cases), splenorrhaphy (8 cases), surrounding the spleen with a resorbable mesh (3 cases) or by partial splenectomy (1 case). Only 1 case of transient and moderate secondary hemorrhage was seen and did not require further surgery. The authors define the legitimacy of splenic preservation and its indications and also stress its limitations. They insist on the following contraindications: preexisting splenic disease, subject on anticoagulants, labile blood pressure, multiple intra-abdominal lesions, presence of intra-peritoneal infection, severe cranio-encephalic lesions, age over 70 years. Study of this series shows that conservative treatment is most often justified for splenic trauma. Nevertheless, in view of the real but rare risk of OPSI, it is better to have a correct splenectomy than an incorrectly preserved spleen.