Introduction:

Nowadays, a splenectomy is a therapeutic option for hematologic diseases, especially those that do not respond to medical treatment. It is a minimally invasive surgery and has advantages such as less postoperative pain, rapid recovery, less blood loss and better cosmetic results. Laparoscopy has become the standard approach for patients undergoing a splenectomy.

Case report:

We present the case of a 34-year old male patient with idiopatic thrombocytopenic purpura. He was treated with steroid and danazol with a persistent thrombocytopenia. Due to the failure of the treatment, a laparoscopic splenectomy was performed without any complication. The extracted spleen measured 25 × 16 cm weighing 1.235 g. The surgical time was of 115 min and the transoperative loss of blood was of 800 cc.

Conclusion:

The laparoscopic splenectomy is a safe and viable therapeutic option. Various studies have shown low conversion rates, less morbidity and a shorter hospital stay. Laparoscopic splenectomy is an effective therapy regardless of the size of the spleen.