Your spleen is a small organ located on the left side of your abdomen, under the rib cage. This organ is part of your immune system and helps to fight infections and to filter damaged and old cells out of your bloodstream. If your spleen needs to be removed, you will have a surgery called a splenectomy.

Most commonly, the surgery is done to remove a spleen that is damaged from injury, but other reasons for its removal include infection, an enlarged spleen, or the presence of tumors.

Laparoscopic Splenectomy

This type of surgery is minimally invasive and has a quicker and less painful recovery time than open surgery. In a laparoscopic splenectomy, the surgeon makes just a few small cuts in your abdomen. Then, he or she uses a small camera to project your spleen onto a monitor. With small tools, the surgeon can then remove your spleen and stitch up the small incisions. In some cases, after viewing the spleen with the camera, the surgeon may decide that it needs to be removed with open surgery.