My deceased mom and grandmother removed my brother from a rolling vehicle. Laid him in a fetal position and he saw the truck coming at him and it just lifted and went right over him. His 10 th
something in his back is fractured and for some reason the doctors are considering removing his spleen. He hasn't had food or water since the wreck Tuesday night because they 'might' do surgery
2006-12-06 03:27:34 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Injuries
It sounds as if your brother has a traumatic splenic injury. These are graded by trauma surgeons from grade I to grade V. It used to be that almost any traumatic injury to the spleen prompted a splenectomy (removal) but the trauma literature during the past 20 years has proven that some spleen injuries can be managed conservatively.
Typically grade IV and grade V injuries will require the spleen to be removed. Grade I - III injuries can be managed conservatively, usually by admission to an intensive care unit or monitored hospital bed with frequent checks of blood levels. If the blood level drops, they can either remove the spleen or perform an embolization in which they cauterize the artery that supplies the spleen to stop the bleeding.
The reason that they're not letting your brother eat is twofold, first if they have to perform surgery, having a full stomach can complicate putting him on the breathing machine for anesthesia. Secondly, there are arteries called the Short Gastric arteries that communicate between the stomach and the spleen. Distending the stomach with food or water can lead to further bleeding from the spleen because of these vessels.
There are other reasons for removing the spleen but it doesn't sound like you'd be too interested in hearing about them since it sounds like you're more concerned about your brother.
What the spleen does is filter old blood cells and helps the immune system fight certain types of bacterial infections. You can live without it, but you're at a slightly increased risk for infection and all fevers should be taken very seriously.
2006-12-06 09:00:59 · answer #1 · answered by tiredsurgeon 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If a spleen is ruptured and won't heal itself it may need to be removed so there isn't any internal bleeding. I know when I was in a car wreck they almost had to remove my spleen ...but it managed to repair part of itself so they never had to. I don't know a lot about the spleen but what I do know is that it is kind of a reservoir for blood... it actually holds a supply for you which when you are sick or injured can help you to heal....but if it's damaged can be life threatening, and I know that you can live without a spleen.
2006-12-06 03:58:53 · answer #2 · answered by B 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like his 10th vertebrae in his back is fractured, and his spleen has also been ruptured, or received traumatic injury, which is a common injury in car accidents. He may have to have surgery on the fractured vertebrae too. Not to worry though, because a person can function quite normally without a spleen. The fractured vertebrae is probably more of a concern.
2006-12-06 03:41:41 · answer #3 · answered by inov8ed 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the spleen becomes ruptured or swollen and might rupture then they would want to remove it. Many people live without their spleen. Its might have become infected and they are waiting to find out if the treatment is going to work but keeping the option open if they need to do emergency surgery to remove it.
2006-12-06 03:31:38 · answer #4 · answered by Dizzy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ruptured spleens r very common in car accidents.
2006-12-06 03:31:59 · answer #5 · answered by Vic Timm?? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋