Splenectomy

Summary

A splenectomy is the surgical procedure that partially or completely removes the spleen. The spleen is an important organ regarding immunological function due to its ability to efficiently destroy encapsulated bacteria. Therefore, removal of the spleen runs the risk of overwhelming post-splenectomy infection, a medical emergency and rapidly fatal disease caused by the inability of the body's immune system to properly fight infection following splenectomy or asplenia.