What to Know About Surgery for Leukemia

Surgery can do little to treat leukemia. For chronic leukemia, though, it is helpful in some cases. Your doctor may remove your spleen if it is swollen and pressing against other organs. Your spleen is an organ near your stomach. It helps produce white blood cells and destroy red blood cells. Another reason you may have your spleen removed is to raise levels of certain blood cells. That’s because a swollen spleen can start removing too many of them from your blood.

What Happens During Surgery for Leukemia

A surgeon performs this procedure in a hospital. The surgery itself will take between 90 minutes and 3 hours. The surgeon makes a cut in your abdomen and removes the spleen. Your incision is then sewn up.

Common Side Effects After Surgery for Leukemia

You will most likely remain in the hospital for less than a week after your surgery. After surgery, you will need to be very careful to avoid infection. That’s because your spleen is an organ that helps protect you against infection. You may also need to have special vaccinations to help protect you from pneumococcal pneumonia and certain other infections.