Suffering from an internal injury due to an auto accident can be very painful and dangerous. One of the more severe of these internal injuries is a ruptured spleen. A ruptured spleen is an injury that occurs when a break is caused in the surface of the spleen.
The spleen is on the left side of the body just underneath the rib cage. The body uses the spleen to fight infection and filter old blood cells out of the bloodstream. Damage to the spleen can be life-threatening.
In some instances a ruptured spleen may be treated with a few days in the hospital. Severe instances require the victim to undergo surgery to fix the issue.
Three ways a ruptured spleen can be fixed with surgery are:
- Repairing the spleen. For minor cases of a ruptured spleen the doctor may attempt to repair the spleen. Although this is accomplished by simply suturing up the injured organ, this is still a risky and invasive surgical procedure.
- ​Removing a portion of the spleen. Depending on the rupture, it may be possible to remove just a portion of the spleen. The surgeon will perform a procedure known as a partial splenectomy.
- Full spleen removal. Although living without a spleen may increase the risk of serious infections, it may be necessary to have the spleen removed if it will not stop hemorrhaging. This procedure is known as a splenectomy. After a splenectomy, the patient will need to be cautious of infection.
Suffering from a spleen injury is an unpleasant experience. If you need surgery after a Wisconsin car crash that was someone else’s fault, you should not have to bear the costs of your medical care and recovery. If you have sustained an injury due to an auto accident you need to contact an experienced attorney right away by filling out the contact form on this page.