Is splenectomy successful in treating all hemolytic anemias?
No. Splenectomy is generally reserved for those with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia. In this, the most common of the hemolytic anemias, antibodies are made against red blood cells, making them appear abnormal to the spleen. The spleen then clears them from the blood and destroys them. Removal of the spleen in this situation often returns the blood count to near-normal. About 60 percent of individuals with warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia will have a long-term elimination of the disease. Cold autoimmune hemolytic anemia, paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria and drug-induced hemolytic anemia do not usually respond to surgery. Therefore, splenectomy is rarely advocated in the treatment of those diseases. • Is splenectomy necessary in people who have sickle cell disease? Splenectomy is rarely required for people with sickle cell disease because the spleen shrinks during the course of the disease. The abnormal shape of sickled red blood cells causes them to get stuck in small blood vessels. Thi
