Twenty Years of Splenic Preservation in Trauma: Lower Early Infection Rate Than in Splenectomy

Background Retrospective studies concerning the operative preservation and nonoperative management of splenic injuries in patients with splenic trauma have been published; however, few studies have analyzed prospectively the results and early complication rates of a defined management in splenic injury. Methods From 1986 to 2006, adult patients with blunt splenic injuries were evaluated prospectively with the intent of splenic preservation. Hemodynamically unstable patients underwent laparotomy. Stable patients were treated conservatively regardless of the grade of splenic injury determined by ultrasound and/or CT scan. Results During a 20-year period, 155 patients were prospectively evaluated. In 98 patients (63%), the spleen could be preserved by nonoperative (64 patients, 65%) or operative (34 patients, 35%) treatment and 57 patients (37%) needed splenectomy. There were no differences in age, sex, or trauma score between the groups, but a higher early infection rate in patients with splenectomy compared with patients with splenic preservation ( p