title: Laparoscopic splenectomy for hematologic diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic splenectomy has been demonstrated to be technically feasible and safe for the treatment of hematologic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study comprised 64 consecutive patients with chronic immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP) who were admitted to our hospital from 1992 to 2000 and underwent laparoscopic splenectomy. Forty-one consecutive patients with ITP who underwent open splenectomy performed at the same hospital by the same surgical team between 1986 and 2000 were selected as the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed laparoscopic splenectomies for ITP, hereditary spherocytosis (HS), malignant lymphoma, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and cryoglobulinemia. Laparoscopic surgery as compared with open surgery in ITP revealed a significantly lower pain medication requirement, an earlier resumption of oral intake, and a shorter hospital stay, but a longer operative time. During the present study (range: 3.8-80 months), the cumulative rate of nonrecurrence was 67.9% at 5 years after surgery, which was similar to the rate for the previous open splenectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic splenectomy is considered to be a suitable alternative therapeutic modality in the treatment of hematologic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanoue
authors.forename: Keishi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akahoshi
authors.forename: Kouzou
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.forename: Norikazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gotoh
authors.forename: Norifumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsutsumi
authors.forename: Morimasa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomikawa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashizume
mesh_terms: D000743:Anemia, Hemolytic / Q000601:surgery; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D016553:Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013103:Spherocytosis, Hereditary / Q000601:surgery; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods*