Splenectomy

Hey there, I was just wondering if there was anyone out there that has a failed splenectomy?

My daughter was diagnosed two years ago, and has had IVIg approximately every two weeks since then, to keep her platelet count up. (she usually falls down to 2).

She just had her splenectomy done on Tuesday, and I was just wondering how many of you out there had splenectomies with no remission??

Is there anyone who did go into remission, and then relapse?

My splenectomy controlled my ITP for nearly 10y before failing. IVig prior to surgery and still pred taper but 10 days post surgery my high was 550 and quickly settled around the 300's for the next 9.5y.

HI, Michelle. To add my two cents, my splenectomy was in/06. For the first two weeks, I had a great count, but after that, it bottomed out again. Not until I did Rituxan last year did my counts go into the normal range. Everyone's story is different, and with your daughter being so young, she has a bit better chance of having it work for her. I hope it does. Please keep us posted.

Hi there! I'm new to this site. I'm 19 years old and June 2010 I was diagnosed with ITP. I was put on Prednisone and relapsed in September 2010 and again in April 2011 while I was being tapered off. In April 2011 I received a splenecomy and was being tapered off Prednisone. I was off completely for two weeks and I relapsed again with my platelet count at 1,000. I am an athletic, healthy, young woman and my body could still be trying to find its balance, but so far it has been right about a year and the outlook hasn't been promising. I wish your daughter all the very best. Keep us updated.

Melissa

I had a splenectomy in 1990, counts failed to rise in hospital and I went home on 60 mg of Prednisone. After tapering and several months it finally rose to 200,000. It was fine for fifteen years. In 2005 I relapsed and have been on Rituxan off and on since. Last count after 10 weeks after last dose, 124,000.


Debbie

I had splenectomy in 1994 and everything went well at first. then in 1997 the spots returned and a long story short, regrowth of spleen and had that removed.

To this date in all I have had 8 ITP known drops to below 10. Usually given IVIG and prednisolone. This year different as old consultant retired and got new consultant and is doing things different. Had a drop at Christmas and he thinks count responded to pred which it did as went back up. But ever since mid may back on steroids and yes am being tapered but get the blood blister and bits of bruising... but dont ring up as don't get the bleeding.... I never know with just a blister and little bruising. besides which I see the blister about 8pm at night and by midday next day its gone. so the count will have risen as fast as it has dropped by the time I get there and whilest I know I can ring the ward 24/7 I do feel guilty ish after 5pm in that if am not actually bleeding - do they really want to know? I guess i can ask him in july. But going in next day would confuse it all because the count has risen again by then... usually. I feel it rise strangly and instinct is extremely good and don't want to be messed about increasing and decreasing the pred even if they trust me at my word. Which am sure they would in time... but as it already risen anyway. But don't know some times how to play it.

I only get signs usually when it below 10 as last summer it dropped to 37 and didn't have any sign at all I believe though my body knew something wasn't right and that why I gone to A&E. If I had thought it platelets I wouldn't have gone there but rung sheffield. (strong instinct) I just happend to be in A&E and they done a blood test. Called me back in because of that.....

But my main thing is to be careful of injury I guess though makes it harder when I want my tooth being extracted?

My daughter age 24 had her spleen out may 25,2011 her level went up to 805k post surgery. At her draw yesterday her levels for her platelets went down to 123k. her Dr is not terming this as a failure yet but if she goes down by next weeks draw then he will say it is a failure and she will need to start an oral medication. She had reactions or failures to other medications prior to the surgery I was hoping the surgery would do the trick.

I wish you and your daughter the best and I will keep positive thoughts her levels stay up and she goes into remission.