Your spleen is a non-essential organ, but that doesn’t mean everything will be exactly the same after you undergo spleen surgery. There’s are a number of things you need to be mindful of and adjust in your daily life in order to thrive without a spleen. We take a closer look at how to make the adjustment to life without a spleen in today’s blog.
Spleen Functions
In order to understand some of the adjustments you may need to make after having your spleen removed, it’s important to first understand the role your spleen performs in your body. Your spleen performs a couple of helpful functions:
- It helps fight off germs in the blood stream.
- If controls the numbers of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets in the body.
- Filters and removes old and damaged red blood cells.
If your spleen is damaged or improperly functioning, it can lead to a reduction in the number of healthy blood cells in the body, the inability to fight off foreign invaders as easily, or the accidental removal of healthy red blood cells from the blood stream.
Life Without A Spleen
Now that we know what functions your spleen performs, it’s easy to see how the removal of your spleen may affect your body. For starters, individuals without a spleen are at a greater risk of severe infection because their body will have a diminished healthy blood cell count. How much likelier you are to contract a severe infection depends on a number of different factors, like your age, weight and overall health. For example, an otherwise healthy 25-year-old without a spleen would be at a reduced risk of a severe infection than a spleenless and overweight 65-year-old with diabetes and high cholesterol. Your greatest risk for a severe infection after spleen removal is in the first two years after surgery, but your risk still remains above average even after that period.
Here’s a look at some steps you’ll want to consider taking to reduce your risks of complications after your spleen is removed:
- Always alert doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals that you’ve undergone a splenectomy.
- Consider wearing a medical bracelet or necklace that informs anyone in the event of an emergency of your health condition.
- Keep up to date on your vaccinations, and talk to your doctor about immunizations if you are traveling out of the country.
- Ask your doctor about any daily antibiotics that can help with your blood cell counts or to stave off potential infections.
- Take extra health precautions when injured, especially when the likelihood of infection is higher (dog bites, ticks, rusted nails, etc.).
- Similarly, if you contract a cold or the flu, don’t assume the problem will go away on its own. Take progressive steps to rest, drink plenty of fluids, and monitor your condition and seek out medical intervention if symptoms get worse.
For more information on what you can do to remain healthy after a splenectomy, contact Dr. Koeplin and his skilled medical team today.
