Laparoscopic surgery for splenic artery aneurysm.
OBJECTIVE
We describe 6 cases of laparoscopic splenectomy for multiple, fusiform splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) in patients difficult to treat with interventional radiology procedure and present a literature review.


METHODS
Between November 1999 and May 2008, 6 patients with SAA underwent laparoscopic surgery. Among these patients, 4 had splenectomy alone and 2 had splenectomy with distal pancreatectomy. The mean size of the aneurysm was 3.1 cm (range: 2 to 4 cm).


RESULTS
Laparoscopic surgeries for SAA were completed successfully in all the 6 patients. The mean operative time and the blood loss were 186.7 minutes (range: 115 to 300 min) and 187.8 mL (range: 3 to 850 mL). The length of the hospital stay was 8.5 days (range: 3 to 15 d). In only 1 case, portal system thrombosis was observed, and the other serious morbidities such as hemorrhage or pancreatic leakage were not observed. No recurrence was observed during a mean follow-up period of 116 months (range: 14 to 260 mo).


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopic surgery should be considered to be a safe therapeutic option for SAA patients with the risk of rupture who are difficult to treat with interventional radiology therapy.
Obuchi
Toru
T
Department of Surgery, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Japan. tobuchi@iwate-med.ac.jp
Sasaki
Akira
A
Nakajima
Jun
J
Nitta
Hiroyuki
H
Otsuka
Koki
K
Wakabayashi
Go
G
D000368:Aged; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013158:Splenic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*