Spleenectomy

This page will highlight some interesting surgeries.  WARNING!  pictures in this section can be quite graphic.  Viewer discretion is advised.

This procedure is called a splenectomy, which is the removal of the spleen.  

Quincy is a dog that came to the clinic in a critical emergency presentation of acute collapse.  He came in pale, panting and with a rear end nerve deficit. Upon examination, a mass was felt by palpation.

A radiograph was taken,  his heart and lungs were OK, but a mid- abdominal mass was seen and ultrasound confirmed the location of the mass on the spleen.

We start with an incision into the abdomen.

 Here's the exteriorized spleen with the large mass attached.

The individual arteries were tied off.

  This is a large blood clot removed from the abdomen.

Here you can see a large amount of blood in the abdomen.  The estimated blood loss was at 4 pints.

The incision is enclosed.

This is the removed spleen and tumor.  Hystopathology reports a non-cancerous hematome, which if not removed would have resulted in Quincy bleeding to death.

Our patient is doing very well and has made a full recovery.