spleen removal

[BelleCurve]

My friend has just had op to remove around 20% of her pancreas and following infection post-op has had to have her spleen removed as well. I am very concerned but don't know much about the spleen etc. Obviously it is serious but what are the likely timescales for recovery and implications for her future health?

I had this op last year - distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. I was in hospital for 5 days afterwards (really could have done with being in for longer I think but that's bed shortages for you...) and it took me 2 weeks longer than that to feel anywhere near up to getting out and about. I had keyhole surgery so the wounds healed fairly quickly - dressings off by 3 weeks - but it was definitely a 6-week recovery time for lifting anything heavier than a 500ml bottle of water. I felt pretty much back to normal by 10 weeks, although really tired once I went back to work at 12 weeks. By 4 months I was fine.

The implications on her future health will depend on why she had the operation in the first place. She will be on daily oral antibiotics for at least 5 years and she will be more susceptible than most people to catching pneumonia and having it spread rapidly - if she gets a chest infection or a sore throat then she must see her GP immediately.

I had mine out because I developed a large tumour attached to both the pancreas and the spleen and since then my health has actually improved. I used to catch every cough, cold and sniffle going and every winter was really miserable for me but this winter was a breeze, not a cold in sight. It was completely the reverse of what I had been expecting but it seems that the tumour had been developing for years before anyone spotted it and interfering with my immune system.

Thanks for the info. Glad you are feeling so much better AKMD.