Conservative surgery of the spleen. Bases and technical options

Review of the literature regarding spleen surgery shows us that total splenectomy, regardless of the degree of splenic injury, has been established over the centuries in the treatment of choice, not only because of the lack of more conservative methods because it was not possible to identify some important function of the spleen. Although the spleen is not essential for life, its removal can cause lower resistance to systemic infections, and easier diffusion by hematic route of bacteria although their functions can be assumed by other lymphoid organs and bone marrow. Recognition of immune functions and the segmental structure of the spleen have been that have laid the bases of conservative surgery in spleen trauma, and the increased risk of infection has gone, in particular the post-splenectomy sepsis, who has promoted the design and application of different methods and operative techniques to avoid the total splenectomy, since the conservation of a portion of organ could be enough to prevent such a fearsone complication. In this article the fundamentals and technical options of conservative surgery in spleen trauma are exposed.