hello, i am facing a splenectomy..(removal of the spleen) has anyone here had one and could you tell me a?

Question

little about it, i wont lie i am pretty scared about it. thanks ahead of time.I appreciate your help, also i am more scaredof having it because i have itp and factor five.. (one condition is the tendency to clot the other is low platelets) so for the surgery they would stop my blood thinners... i am 32 years old and facing some scary things over the last 6 months. thanks again for listening...holly

Answer 1

I haven't had a spenectomy, but I also have ITP and the tendancy to clot. I am on an aspirin regiment now, but during my pregnancies (3, two successful pregnancies, 2 c-sections), I was on lovenox. I did well, but got tired of injecting myself twice daily.

Is a splenectomy your last option? I mean, when I was diagnosed, my platelets were at 1000, I was bleeding heavily and bruising all over. My hematologist never even brought up that subject.

Anyways, I know how your are feeling, just take care, everything will go well!

Answer 2

Are you on coumadin? If you have Factor V, you should ask your dr about getting on low molecular weight heparin or lovenox for the surgery. If you have Factor V, any surgery puts you at risk for a clot. I can't speak to the itp, but I also have Factor V as well as MTHFR (another clotting disorder). It has been drilled into my brain that I will need lovenox prior to any surgery, and elective surgery should be done only if truly necessary.

Good luck, I know having these conditions are scary. The best thing to do is create a partnership with your dr.

Answer 3

My son had stage IV abdomnial sarcoma. He spent 16 months undergoing high dose chemo to shrink multiple tumors ranging in size from volley ball to tiny nodules. He had one debulking surgery which removed 75% of the tumors. A few months later he underwent cytoreductive surgery and intra-peritoneal hyperthermic chemoperfusion. During this procedure they removed multiple tumors, scraped his right diaphragm which was a solid cake of tumor, and removed his spleen. When they were done, he was 'no evidence' of disease. He was also on a blood thinner for two clots to his lung. All they did for him to prepare for the last surgery was to stop the Coumadin a day before surgery. He than had his legs put in some type of leggings that pumped air and blew up on a regular basis.

As for the splenectomy, he has been without his spleen for over a year now with no problems. He takes penicillin twice a day and 2 Bactrim three days a week because he doesn't have his spleen. He was also vaccinated for pneumococcal pneumonia , meningococcal infections ( Meningitis ), and Haemophilus Influenza Type B. Plus, he must have a yearly flu shot.

Other than a couple spots (cm) of cancer on the dome of his liver, he is doing fine. :-)

Good luck.

Answer 4

I've not had a spleen removed but I can comment about the blood thinners. My sister has antiphospholipid syndrome (sticky blood) and is on Coumadin. She recently had breast cancer surgery and had to stop her Coumadin and they replaced it with Heparin instead. She HAS to have a blood thinner of some kind in her system all the time or she gets terrible clots that go to her eyes, lungs and eventually her brain. Ask your doctor/surgeon if a low dose of Heparin would be appropriate for you. Good luck with your surgery!