After Laparoscopic Splenectomy
You have had surgery to remove your spleen (called splenectomy). The spleen sits in the upper left part of your abdomen. It stores red blood cells, filters blood, and helps fight infection. To take it out, your health care provider made 3 or 4 small incisions in your abdomen. Surgical tools were then inserted through these incisions. The information below will help as you recover at home.
Activity
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Ask for help with chores and errands while you get better.
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Don’t lift anything heavier than 10 pounds until cleared by your health care provider.
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Don’t do strenuous activity. Build up your activity levels as you heal.
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Don't drive until your provider tells you it's OK. Also, never drive if you are taking pain medicine.
Incision care
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Check your incisions daily for signs of infection. Look for redness, swelling, and fluid leaking from the incision. Infection may also cause the edges of an incision to open up.
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Shower carefully. Keep the incision dry. Don't soak in a bath until the incision is healed or until your health care provider says it's OK.
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Wash your incision gently. Use mild soap and warm water. Pat dry.
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Follow your provider's instructions for incision care. Do not pull or tear off any incision coverings unless you are told to do so.
Other home care
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Take pain medicine as instructed.
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Check your temperature each day for 7 days after the surgery. Call your health care provider if your temperature is higher than 100.4°F (38°C), or as directed by your provider.
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Gradually return to a regular diet as you feel able to. It's important for healing to eat a healthy diet.
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If you are constipated from pain medicine, take a fiber supplement or stool softener as prescribed. You may be told to take both. Talk with your provider about any symptoms that are bad or don't go away.
Preventing and treating infections
You have a higher risk of infection now because you don’t have a spleen. You are especially at high risk for infections from some bacteria, such as certain types of pneumonia and meningitis. There are ways to manage this risk. These include:
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Taking antibiotic medicine as directed by your health care provider. This helps stop infection. Take all of this medicine until it's gone, even if you feel better.
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Talking to your provider about what vaccines you should have. Most people who have elective splenectomy get vaccines against a certain type of bacteria before surgery. These vaccines should be given at least 2 weeks before surgery if possible. These vaccines need to be updated every 5 to 10 years.
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Seeing your provider even for mild illnesses. These include colds or sinus problems. Your health care provider will give you antibiotics if they suspect a bacterial infection, and they will watch your health.
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Telling all of your health care providers that you have had your spleen taken out. This includes your dentist, primary care provider, and nurse practitioner.
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Wearing a medical alert ID bracelet that says you don’t have a spleen.
When to call your doctor
Contact your doctor or seek medical care right away if you have:
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Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher, or as directed by your doctor.
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Dizziness or lightheadedness.
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Any unusual bleeding.
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Nausea or vomiting that doesn’t get better.
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Pain, warmth, drainage, or redness in the skin around the incisions that gets worse.
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Incisions that open up or pull apart.
Online Medical Reviewer:
Jen Lehrer MD
Online Medical Reviewer:
Melinda Murray Ratini DO
Online Medical Reviewer:
Rita Sather RN
Date Last Reviewed:
2/1/2025
© 2000-2025 The StayWell Company, LLC. All rights reserved. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical care. Always follow your healthcare professional's instructions.