Table 3

Studies involving patients who underwent splenectomy for relapsing thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Study	No. of patients	Surgical method	No. (%)			Follow-up, mean (range), mo.^*	Comment
Study	No. of patients	Surgical method	Deaths	Complications	Postsplenectomy relapses	Follow-up, mean (range), mo.^*	Comment
Liu et al. (7)	2	Open	0	1 (50)	0	7, 7	Complication: postoperative hemorrhage requiring a repeat laparotomy
Wells et al. (8)	1	Open	0	0	0	30
Eldor et al. (9)	2	Open	0	0	0	28, 35
Onundarson et al. (4)	6	Open	0	1 (17)	0	42 (11–68)	Complication: incisional hematoma
Hoffkes et al. (10)	2	Open	0	0	0	24, 24
Veltman et al. (11)	5	Open	0	0	0	39 (9–62)
Crowther et al. (12)	6	Open	0	0	2 (33)	45 (10–96)
Rund et al. (13)	2	Open	0	0	0	10, 52
de la Rubia et al. (14)	2	Laparoscopic	0	0	1 (50)	11, 26
Schwartz et al. (15)	6	Laparoscopic	0	0	0	32 (19–54)
Wichmann et al. (16)	2	Laparoscopic	0	0	0	11, 32
Modic et al. (17)	2	Laparoscopic	0	0	0	5, 13
Essien et al. (18)	2	Laparoscopic	0	0	0	16, 19
Aqui et al. (19)	8	Open	1 (12.5)	0	4 (50)	21 (1–67)	One patient died from relapsing TTP 2 days after splenectomy
Zomas et al. (20)	5	Open	0	0	0	13^‡
Kremer Hovinga et al. (21)	2	Not reported	0	0	0	44, 91
Kappers-Klunne (5)	24	Open^†	0	3 (12.5)	6 (25)	111 (9–230)	Complications: 1 wound infection, 1 subphrenic abscess and 1 pancreatic injury with fluid collection
Outschoorn and Ferber (22)	3	Not reported	0	0	2 (66)	43 (2–80)
Present study	5	Laparoscopic	0	0	0	43 (40–48)
Total	87		1 (1.2)	5 (6)	15 (17)