I seem to have given this disorder to my son ( 20) .He has a relatively mild case .. ie historically has not needed transfusions etc.. but recently had a viral attack that led to an acute anemia that required a transfusion .. and that led to the diagnosis. ( I myself luckily do not have any symptoms.
Anyway here is the question .. What do people think about a partial spenectomy vs full ( this has been recommended as his spleen is > 40% enlarged. Most literature I find seems to discuss this ( partial ) as an option for enfants but I can find no opinions on this as an option for adults.

I would think that a partial might be the way to go ,, but maybe there is enevitable re growth.

Any thoughts appreciated.
ol

Hi and welcome to "the pool"
It is unfortunate to hear about you and your son's condition. But on the upside there is treatment for Heriditary Spherocytosis (HS) and that calls for the removal of the spleen. The red blood cell defect will still exist but there will no longer be hemolysis of the red blood cells.

A splenectomy in an adult is far less major than a splenectomy for a child and usually won't be performed on a child under 3 years old. But for an adult, this is a relatively minor surgery and prognosis is good. It is important, tho, for people with HS to get the pneumococcal vaccine before having a splenectomy.

I understand that partial splenectomies are performed in Europe but in the US they are considered relatively controversial and I have found no information on a partial being performed on an adult. You will, naturally, want to discuss this in more detail with your doctor.

Georgia85,
Very good answer. Very correct as far as I can remember.

You should contact Dr. Henry Rice of Duke University Hospital (google him for number). He is a leading pediatric surgeob who has pioneered partial splenectomy on children and has published many articles. Check Journal of Blood. He could help you decide what to do with your son.