[Perioperative care by internists in splenectomy]

Splenectomy (SE) is one of the surgical interventions requiring an increased internal care. The removal of the spleen which is an organ with an exceptional function can lead to complications even in people who are healthy in all other respects. The complications in coincidence with SE can arise early (up to 30 days after surgery) or later. Early complications can involve infections of the respiratory tract (especially bronchopneumonia), or subphrenic abscess. Thromboembolic complications occur not only in peri-operational period, but also in several weeks or months after SE. A severe complication resides in disseminated intravascular blood coagulation. Late complications represent a lifelong danger for asplenic patients. They include the fulminant sepsis, known as so-called OPSI syndrome (overwhelming postsplenectomy infection). The mortality rate in coincidence with the latter is very high despite intensive antibiotic therapy. The risk is especially high in children, in immuno-deficient states and immunosuppressive therapy. 60% of patients develop OPSI during the first two years, out of whom one third is afflicted in the first half of the year following SE. In more than 30% of patients OPSI manifests itself minimally 5 years later. The prevention of infection in coincidence with SE is performed by means of immunization, antibiotic prophylaxis and via education of patients. Immunization includes the administration of a polyvalent pneumococcus vaccine, in children it includes also the vaccine against Haemophilus inluenzae and Neisseria meningitidis. The appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis is represented especially by penicillin, amoxicillin, or amoxicillin with clavulanic acid. The children or other patients with disturbed immunity functions are administered with antibiotics in low doses per os for a long period. Antibiotics in the therapy of OPSI are administered in full doses together with immunoglobulin, both are applied intravenously. A specific approach is required in patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenia, in whom the increase in the number of thrombocytes prior to operation can be achieved by high intravenous doses of corticoids or immunoglobulin G. In this case, unless explicitly necessary, the transfusion of thrombocytes should not be performed prior to SE. The antithrombotic therapy is appropriate in patients at high risk of post-surgical thrombosis (e.g. hereditary haemolytic anaemias, myeloproliferative diseases, SE in coincidence with polytraumatism.