Bone marrow test before splenectomy?

Curious how many have considered a bone marrow biopsy before moving forward with a splenectomy? Did your hematologist recommend it?

This is one of those things that if you ask 10 people and Doctors, you may get 10 different opinions. Our personal hematologist's philosophy is that they will not do a splenectomy without a bone marrow. In contrast, they will not just arbitrarily do one any more, but they will before the splenectomy. I do not know the technical reasons, except I was told that it gives a semblance of confirmation that your child does have ITP. Hope it helps.

I agree. I think a bone marrow biopsy can be an important part of the process prior to splenectomy, just to be sure. Since a splenectomy is such a major, irreversible thing, I'd want to be absolutely sure ITP is in fact the actual problem.

Mine requested one prior and I think it was reasonably justified to eliminate other causes.

I had bone marrow tests done when first developed ITP (1994) They worked by the rule book of that time and didn't have a seperate one before the splenectomy. But I do know my consultant at the time promised me it will never happen again. 18 month later, he ate is own words and has been doing so ever since he retired two year ago. The splenectomy raised my counts from 0 to normal. Which is good. But have periodic drops from time to time. Mine was idiopathic until it was decided everyone is immune because of the antibodies. Perhaps they used the results they had of the bone marrow test because I know when I was in the local hospital the original doctor told me everything the city hospital would do. (Though it was a foreign language at that time as good as). But he was 100% right. Though the city hospital wanted to do it all for themselves..... So yes the bone marrow test will have told them somethings. But don't tell you everything. Having a spleen removed isn't always the answer as with all the medication. Though lots of people do experience full recovery (carefully chosen words) and never have another episode.

Thanks for the info and replies, so glad I have this forum to come to!!

Julie

I had a bone marrow biopsy done to rule out other possibilities. That is when the Dr came back with ITP as a diagnosis.

I agree, I think it is a good idea to have it done before going through with it, so they can rule out for sure anything else.

My daughter Danica had a repeat bone marrow biopsy done before her splenectomy -- just to be sure that there was nothing else going on with the bone marrow. It was the same as the one two years ago -- indicative of ITP