Clinical and laboratory outcomes following total or partial splenectomy in patients with hereditary spherocytosis

Abstract

This study compared outcomes following total (TS) or partial splenectomy (PS) among patients with hereditary spherocytosis. Seventy-nine patients (TS = 33, PS = 46) were identified. The follow-up period was longer after PS (59.6 vs. 24.9 months, p < .001). Long-term adverse events occurred more frequently following PS (50% vs. 29%, p = .001). Anemia, jaundice, and fatigue recurred in six patients with PS, leading to five completion splenectomies. Hemoglobin was not different between PS and TS by 5 years post-procedure (12.3 vs. 13.4 g/dL, p = .25). Both PS and TS ameliorate symptoms and improve hematologic parameters. The rate of secondary surgery following PS should be considered when planning the initial surgical procedure.

Keywords:

• Health outcomes
• hereditary spherocytosis
• splenectomy

Acknowledgments

VNT received support from the National Institutes of Health (K12HL087164). SIT received support from the Global Health Initiative at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. The authors would like to thank Dr. Samuel E. Lux III for critical review of this manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Authors’ contributions

All authors contributed to the study design and data collection. VNT and SIT wrote the manuscript. All authors revised and approved of the final manuscript.