Heart attack two months after splenectomy

I had a heart attack two months after my splenectomy. The attack was due to a blood clot. Is there research that we can have heart attacks from splenectomy. Fluctuations in platelets, going from double to triple digits?

It is known that people who have had splenectomy are more likely to have strokes, heart attacks and other clotting events. See the article at...

bloodjournal.hematologylibrary.org/content/114/14/2861.long

Platelets usually stabilise after a while. The liver can take over the killing off of the platelets so it could be that the end result will be a low count. It's also known that splenectomy doesn't work as often as people get older compared with those in their 20s say. Were you told all of these things before having the surgery?

I had not seen this article before. No, my doctors did not discuss possible complications of blood clots for post splenectomy. We discussed the possibility that it might not be successful, but my numbers were like many quite low and unresponsive to each treatment.
Thank you for your response.

The most interesting parts of the article Ann referenced seem to be that the primary risk is in thalassemia patients and sickle-cell patients, although there is some immediate post-surgical clotting risk that they attribute to the injury to the portal vein from the surgery itself. The connection of thrombotic events to splenectomy in ITP patients seemed to not be very strong.

Added problem for ITP patients is that they now believe that those with ITP are more prone to clotting anyway. That added to the post splenectomy hypercoagulability and thrombocytosis is a worrying mix.

www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASHHematology/12103

Any of this is only my opinion and worries for myself, everyone has to formulate their own worries!

There is also this article re: the spleen and heart attacks:

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730141557.htm

We frequently point out the risks that some doctors tend to ignore or are not aware of.

That second one is a good article, Ann. I hadn't seen that one. It mentions all of the things that I (we) have suspected for a while now. There seems to be more clotting episodes around here now than there's ever been. That is worrisome.

Originally when in the hospital two months after splenectomy with heart attack my cardiologist did not see connection with my ITP and my hematologist wanted him to treat the heart attack because my numbers were then in the normal range. I really feel most doctors that are not ITP specialist do not see most of the research being done and here on PDSA. My primary doctor only looked it up in medical journals and he stated it was not related. I found it too much of a coincidence, I felt fine one moment and the next was having a blood clot heart attack. This is scary that many with ITP are not looking for this. You hear more about pulmonary embolism.

Sandi, great article, but my spleen can't help me now. Now I am juggling red hot coals on a teeter totter. Being on aspirin and anti platelet medication goes against everything I worked so hard on before, bringing my numbers up... Since my heart attack my numbers have dropped 100 thousand... 146 thousand still in the normal range..... But..... It has only been four months since my splenectomy...

All I know is any surgery can be cause for throwing a clot. A dear friend died after knee replacement surgery due to a blood clot.

You're right, Melinda. I'm sorry about your friend. But this was two months after the surgery.

Leschen - try not to worry about the numbers. It's probably better if your counts are not too high anyway. As long as you are over 50, you should be okay. I am also on aspirin, and there are a few people here on blood thinners. It's not easy, but it's usually manageable.

Sandi wrote: You're right, Melinda. I'm sorry about your friend. But this was two months after the surgery.

My friend's was about 2 months after it also - and it was attributed to the surgery.

Wow - really? That's scary! What kind of clot was it?

And today on the PDSA site is a family posting that his mother just suffered a heart attack and she is currently in a coma.... I pray the medical field is looking at this, too much tragedy.... I have four children....

Melinda I am so sorry you lost a dear friend to this crazy disorder.

leschen thank you. My friend did not have ITP though. That's what I meant by any surgery could be cause for a clot.

I hope all goes well for you!

I would think that a clot 2 months after a surgery would be rare in a person who does not have risks (like we discussed). Maybe if the person is laid up in bed for weeks it would be explainable, but otherwise, it doesn't make much sense.