Non-operative treatment in the management of traumatic lesions of the spleen. A new kind of therapy?

The onset of severe episodes of sepsis in splenectomizedpatients has induced surgeons to perform conservative operations in orderto save at least partial functioning of the spleen. Recently, great interest hasbeen focused on the non-operative treatment of traumatic lesions of thespleen, which involves careful and continual observation of patients withsplenic trauma to monitor their course towards recovery. This method oftreatment was recently adopted by our department for two patients whosecase histories are presented herein. Non-operative treatment is suitable onlyin strictly selected subjects, who must be carefully monitored in an intensivecare unit where constant examination and sophisticated diagnostic proceduresare readily available. Although the non-operative treatment ofsplenic trauma is not new, it is only recently that its management,programming and role have been updated.