The spleen is a fist-sized organ in the upper left side of your abdomen, next to your stomach and behind your left ribs. It’s an important part of your immune system, but you can survive without it. This is because the liver can take over many of the spleen’s functions.
The spleen acts as a filter for your blood The spleen recognises old, or damaged red blood cells and removes them from your body by breaking them down and saving any useful components, such as iron, in the process.
Subsequently, Does a splenectomy affect life expectancy?
The mean age of the patients at splenectomy was 56 years and the mean duration of their disease 2.4 years. The median actuarial survival after operation was 51 months. Although the series of patients is small, it seems that splenectomy did not have an adverse effect on life expectancy.
Also, What happens when you have no spleen?
Life without a spleen You can be active without a spleen, but you’re at increased risk of becoming sick or getting serious infections. This risk is highest shortly after surgery. People without a spleen may also have a harder time recovering from an illness or injury.
Does having your spleen removed make you immunocompromised?
Undergoing a spleen removal leaves you with a compromised, or weakened, immune system. Since infections can be more dangerous without a spleen, you may need yearly vaccines and prophylactic antibiotics.
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What can you eat after spleen removal?
Eat several small meals each day. Slowly increase the amount you eat. It’s common to feel full quickly after having this surgery. If your stomach is upset, try bland, low-fat foods like plain rice, broiled chicken, toast, and yogurt.
Can you live a long life without a spleen?
You can live without a spleen. But because the spleen plays a crucial role in the body’s ability to fight off bacteria, living without the organ makes you more likely to develop infections, especially dangerous ones such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae.
When spleen is removed what happens?
If your spleen needs to be removed, other organs, such as the liver, can take over many of the spleen’s functions. This means you’ll still be able to cope with most infections. But there’s a small risk that a serious infection may develop quickly. This risk will be present for the rest of your life.
Does the spleen help your immune system?
Your spleen also plays an important part in your immune system, which helps your body fight infection. Just as it detects faulty red blood cells, your spleen can pick out any unwelcome micro-organisms (like bacteria or viruses) in your blood.
What are the 3 functions of the spleen?
– Clearance of microorganisms and particulate antigens from the blood stream.
– Synthesis of immunoglobulin G (IgG), properdin (an essential component of the alternate pathway of complement activation), and tuftsin (an immunostimulatory tetrapeptide)
– Removal of abnormal red blood cells (RBCs)
How does not having a spleen affect your immunity?
However, with the loss of the lymphoid tissue in the spleen, the immune system fights infections with a bit of a handicap. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people without a spleen get vaccinated against preventable diseases, including influenza (flu).
Where is the spleen and what is its function?
Your spleen is a small organ located on the left side of your abdomen under the rib cage. This organ is part of your immune system and helps to fight off infections while also filtering damaged and old cells out of your bloodstream.
What are the side effects of living without a spleen?
Life without a spleen You can be active without a spleen, but you’re at increased risk of becoming sick or getting serious infections. This risk is highest shortly after surgery. People without a spleen may also have a harder time recovering from an illness or injury.
What happens to red blood cells after splenectomy?
However, after a splenectomy the lack of presence of the spleen means this function cannot be carried out so damaged erythrocytes will continue to circulate in the blood and can release substances into the blood.
What are two important functions of the spleen?
The spleen plays multiple supporting roles in the body. It acts as a filter for blood as part of the immune system. Old red blood cells are recycled in the spleen, and platelets and white blood cells are stored there. The spleen also helps fight certain kinds of bacteria that cause pneumonia and meningitis.
Can a person live a normal life without a spleen?
You can live without a spleen. But because the spleen plays a crucial role in the body’s ability to fight off bacteria, living without the organ makes you more likely to develop infections, especially dangerous ones such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae.
Does your spleen affect your immune system?
The spleen also stores red blood cells, platelets, and infection-fighting white blood cells. The spleen plays an important role in your immune system response. When it detects bacteria, viruses, or other germs in your blood, it produces white blood cells, called lymphocytes, to fight off these infections.
What are the side effects of having your spleen removed?
Like any operation, spleen removal carries a small risk of complications, including bleeding and infection. Your doctor will talk through these risks with you. You should be given breathing and leg exercises to do at home to reduce your risk of getting a blood clot or a chest infection.
Does not having a spleen affect your immune system?
However, with the loss of the lymphoid tissue in the spleen, the immune system fights infections with a bit of a handicap. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that people without a spleen get vaccinated against preventable diseases, including influenza (flu).
What is the recovery time for spleen removal?
Recovering from surgery takes 4 to 8 weeks. You may have some of these symptoms as you recover: Pain around the incision for a few weeks. This pain should lessen over time.
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