Where is the spleen located

Without a spleen, however, your body will lose some of its ability to fight infections. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Spleen Diseases Also called: Splenic diseases. Learn More Specifics Genetics. See, Play and Learn No links available. Research Clinical Trials Journal Articles. As you've seen, your spleen is a very useful organ, but it is not vital.

Sometimes, a person's spleen does have to be surgically removed. This may be because the spleen becomes injured, or it may be taken out in the course of transplanting other organs. Other parts of your body, like your lymph nodes and your liver , are able to step in and take over many of your spleen's functions. Because the spleen is so important to your immune system, people without spleens are more vulnerable to infections.

This is why your doctor may tell you to take extra precautions, such as getting vaccinations, once your spleen has been removed. You will also be prescribed oral antibiotics to take daily; this is another way to prevent infection. Still, it's not uncommon to be without a spleen, and many people are able to enjoy full lives without one. Learn more about the liver and its functions. Jan Blice Phone: Email: joanne.

Renee Brown-Bakewell Phone: Email: renee. Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:. Pittsburgh, PA In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.

For general information and inquiries , please call To make an appointment , please call from 7 a. Rupture can happen straight away or it may happen weeks after the injury. Signs of a ruptured spleen are: pain behind your left ribs and tenderness when you touch this area dizziness and a rapid heart rate a sign of low blood pressure caused by blood loss Sometimes if you lie down and raise your legs, you can feel the pain at the tip of your left shoulder.

A ruptured spleen is a medical emergency, as it can cause life-threatening bleeding. An enlarged spleen The spleen can become swollen after an infection or injury. An enlarged spleen does not always cause symptoms. Otherwise, look out for: feeling full very quickly after eating an enlarged spleen can press on the stomach feeling discomfort or pain behind your left ribs anaemia and fatigue frequent infections easy bleeding Doctors can often tell if you have an enlarged spleen by feeling your abdomen.

Surgery to remove the spleen You may need an operation to remove your spleen, known as a splenectomy, if it's not working properly or it's damaged, diseased or enlarged. Sometimes just part of your spleen can be removed, which is called a partial splenectomy. Laparoscopy Most operations to remove spleens are carried out using keyhole surgery laparoscopy.

The procedure involves: making several small cuts in your tummy guiding a laparoscope into your body through one of the cuts so doctors can see what they're doing passing thin instruments into your tummy through the other cuts to remove your spleen gas will be pumped into your tummy to make this easier The cuts are then stitched up or sometimes glued together. You may be able to go home the same day, or you may need to stay in hospital overnight.

If you go home the same day, someone will need to stay with you for the first 24 hours. Open surgery Open surgery is where one large cut is made. Recovering from spleen surgery It's normal to feel sore and be bruised after a splenectomy, but you'll be given pain relief. You should be able to eat and drink as normal soon after the operation. Your doctor will talk through these risks with you.

Living without a spleen If your spleen needs to be removed, other organs, such as the liver, can take over many of the spleen's functions. Young children have a higher risk of serious infection than adults, but the risk is still small. This risk can be minimised by following simple precautions to prevent infection.

You should also be vaccinated against: pneumococcal infections, such as pneumonia, with a booster every 5 years flu get the flu vaccine every year MenACWY MenB Antibiotics It's recommended that you take low-dose antibiotics for the rest of your life to prevent bacterial infections. Antibiotics are particularly important: for children under the age of 16 for the first 2 years after your spleen is removed if your immune system does not work properly Be alert for signs of infection See a GP as soon as possible if you get signs of an infection.

According to the National Cancer Institute , adult non-Hodgkin lymphoma can have a spleen stage. This type of spleen invasion can also happen with leukemia, blood cancer that originates in bone marrow. Rarely, other types of cancers — like lung or stomach cancers — will invade the spleen, according to the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology. Spleen cancer symptoms may resemble a cold or there may be pain or fullness in the upper abdomen, according to Medical News Today. An enlarged spleen can also be the result of spleen cancer.

Treatment for spleen cancer will depend on the type of cancer and how much it has spread. The National Cancer Institute lists spleen removal as a possible treatment. Spleen removal surgery is called a splenectomy. Knowlton said that the procedure is done in cases such as: "trauma, blood disorders idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura ITP , thalassemia, hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia , cancer lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, leukemia , and hypersplenism to name a few.

Spleen removal is typically a minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, according to the Cleveland Clinic , meaning that surgeons make several small incisions and use special surgical tools and a small camera to conduct the surgery. In certain cases, a surgeon may opt for one large incision, instead. Nevertheless, removing the spleen can have serious consequences.

Often, doctors recommend getting vaccines, including a pneumococcus vaccine, Haemophilus B vaccine, Meningococcal vaccine, and yearly flu vaccine after a splenectomy, according to University of Michican Hospitals and Health Centers.