The true splenic blood supply and its surgical applications

In 1981 we described a simple porta-azygous disconnection procedure to stop the bleeding in esophago-gastric varices. This surgical technique included ligature of the splenic artery and the short gastric vessels. In spite of the arterial ligatures, no alteration was seen in splenic circulation.

In 1988, Warshaw presented a study of twenty-two cases of distal pancreatectomy without splenectomy. Since then, we have studied our porta-azygous disconnected patients using radioactive substances and found, surprisingly, that there is a normal splenic blood supply. Simultaneously, we started an experimental study with dogs and human cadavers by placing acrylic fluid into the splenic arterial vessels. Solidification and corrosion of soft tissue showed the true arterial architecture of the vessels.

Both the animal experiments and the results of injecting acrylic into the arterial splenic arteries of human cadavers demonstrated that in addition to the splenic artery and the short arteries there is another important artery which reaches the splenic hilum. Injecting acrylic into this artery showed that this was the left gastroepiploic artery.

The spleen is irrigated by the splenic artery and the short vessels, but also by the left gastroepiploic artery. These findings suggest surgical applications such as distal pancreatectomy without splenectomy, and, more importantly, that in the portal-azygous disconnection previously described it may not be necessary to ligate the splenic artery.