Urgent laparoscopic splenectomy in a morbidly obese pregnant woman: Case report and literature review

Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) has undergone significant evolution since its introduction more than a decade ago. It clearly has been shown to be advantageous in comparison with open splenectomy and is considered by some to be the treatment of choice for routine uncomplicated elective splenectomy. When LS was first introduced, contraindications to the procedure included pregnancy, obesity, and splenomegaly. Both technologic advances and experience with the technique have enabled surgeons to perform LS for a growing number of indications with seemingly fewer contraindications. Here, we present a case of successful LS in a morbidly obese pregnant woman with splenomegaly and hemolysis secondary to hereditary spherocytosis.