Impact of preoperative platelet count on perioperative outcome after laparoscopic splenectomy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

© 2016 Introduction Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is the preferred treatment of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) when medical treatment fails. The objective was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of LS according to the preoperative platelet count. Methods This study is a retrospective analysis of a series of 199 patients who underwent LS for ITP from 1993 to 2015. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to platelet count: group I (<10 × 109/L), group II (10-50 × 109/L) and group III (> 50 × 109/L). Results Operative time was significantly lower in Group III compared to Group I and II (100 ± 53 and 105 ± 61 min, P<.025)). Intraoperative blood loss was statistically higher in group I (263 ± 551 ml) with respect to the other 2: group II (128 ± 352 ml) and group III (24 ± 62 ml) (P<.003). Hospital stay was 6.4 ± 5.8 days in group I, significantly higher compared to groups II and III (3.8 ± 2.3 and 3.2 ± 1.8 days, respectively (P<.003)). Conclusion Conducting a LS in ITP patients with low platelet counts is effective and safe.