ORGAN-SPARING AND ORGAN- REMOVING SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE SPLEEN IN CHILDREN. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Authors: Bodnar O. , Kuzyk A. , Malovaniy B. , Randiuk R. , Bodnar A. 
Published: November 2024

Introduction. Nowadays splenic surgery is a rather urgent problem in pediatric surgery. There are diseases where only splenectomy allows a child to live a full life. These are: sickle cell anemia (SCA), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, hereditary spherocytosis (Minkowski- Chauff ard disease), thalassemia, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The spleen is involved in 25-30 % of cases of blunt abdominal trauma in children. The loss of more than 45 % of the circulating blood volume leads to an unstable hemodynamic state in the child. The question of surgical treatment and preservation of the spleen in hemoperitoneum due to its injury is of vital importance. Aim: To study the possibilities of surgical treatment of diseases and injuries of the spleen in children. Materials and methods. An analysis of surgical interventions for diseases and injuries of the spleen in children aged 2 to 17 years from 2019 to 2024 was performed. The study was conducted in the surgical departments of the «Clinical Center of Pediatric Medicine» of the «Okhmatdyt Hospital» of the «Western Ukrainian Specialized Center» (Lviv) and the «Chernivtsi City Children’s Clinical Hospital» (Chernivtsi). 27 children (17 girls, 10 boys) had spleen diseases and 43 children (23 girls, 20 boys) had spleen injuries. Splenectomy was performed for the following splenic diseases: sickle cell anemia (9 children), idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (4 children), hereditary spherocytosis (Minkowski- Chauff ard disease) (6 children), thalassemia (1 child), and autoimmune hemolytic anemia (1 child). Six children had splenic cysts: 3 children had posttraumatic cysts and 3 children had parasitic cysts. Twenty children underwent surgery for splenic injuries. The following surgical procedures were performed: laparoscopic abdominal cavity repair with spleen preservation followed by conservative therapy (13 children); laparoscopic splenectomy (2 children); laparotomy, splenic suture (2 children); and open splenectomy (3 children).Results. Conservative management of splenic injuries of varying degrees according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) was performed in 23 (53.49 %) children. Resorption of hemoperitoneum in cases of conservative treatment of splenic injuries occurred 11-14 days after the start of treatment. Safe, full physical activity was resumed after 6 weeks of conservative treatment of splenic injury. Surgical procedures were performed in 20 (46.51 %) children using various techniques. 17 patients underwent laparoscopy. 2 children underwent laparoscopic splenectomy for grade IV AAST injury and hemodynamic instability. In 15 cases, treatment was started with conservative therapy, but during monitoring an increase in hemoperitoneum was observed, indicating the need for laparoscopy. Laparoscopy was performed in 13 children. A minimum of 100 ml and a maximum of 400 ml of blood was collected laparoscopically in the children. The abdominal cavity was examined and hemostasis was confi rmed. In cases where the spleen was «wrapped» with the omentum, the omentum was not separated from the spleen. The operation was completed by placing a drainage tube in the perisplenic space. In 2 children, grade IV AAST injuries were converted to an open procedure in which the spleen was sutured to stop bleeding and a drain was left near the splenic bed. Grade V AAST splenic injury in 3 children was an indication for left subcostal laparotomy and splenectomy. For splenic disease, laparoscopic splenectomy was performed in 12 (44.44 %) children, with high effi cacy in Minkowski- Chauff ard disease combined with gallstones (3 children) where simultaneous cholecystectomy was possible. Laparoscopic removal of splenic cysts was also justifi ed in 3 (11.11 %) children. However, removal of parasitic cysts required open splenectomy in 3 patients. Open splenectomy was performed in 9 children with splenic disease. In 5 children the inappropriateness of laparoscopy was due to severe perisplenitis, large spleen weight and young age of the children.Conclusions1. The morpho- functional structure of the spleen promotes spontaneous hemostasis, which is the basis for conservative treatment of spleen injuries in 53.49 % of children.2. The AAST classifi cation of splenic injuries from grade I to V, hemodynamic indicators and ultrasound monitoring of blood in the abdominal cavity can be used as a basis for choosing the method of treatment of closed blunt splenic injuries in children.3. Ineff ectiveness of conservative treatment, hemodynamic instability and increase of blood in the abdominal cavity in a child with splenic injury within 4 hours is an indication for laparoscopy.4. Splenic suturing and laparoscopic monitoring should be the preferred methods for treating closed splenic injuries in children to preserve the organ.5. The choice of surgical intervention for splenic diseases in children should be individualized and depend on the disease, the child’s age, the size of the spleen, and the presence of complications of the disease.