Hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura during pregnancy

A successful case of a hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy with low-pressure pneumoperitoneum for autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura in a patient at 23 weeks' gestation is reported. Preoperative splenic arterial embolization was performed on the same day as the operation using painless contour embolic material and super-absorbent polymer microspheres. The abdominal wall retraction method first was applied to avoid the effects of pneumoperitoneum on systemic hemodynamic alterations. However, a sufficient surgical view could not be obtained, as the intra-abdominal organs were elevated because of the enlarged uterus. A surgical view with 4 to 6-mm Hg pneumoperitoneum was available for the hand-assisted splenectomy. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient vaginally delivered a healthy infant. A hand-assisted laparoscopic splenectomy with low-pressure pneumoperitoneum after splenic arterial embolization would be feasible for patients with autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura during a relatively advanced pregnancy.