blood disorders
Overview of the Spleen
Asplenia
People can live without a spleen (a condition called asplenia). Asplenia is loss of splenic function due to Absence of the spleen at birth A disease that affects the function of the spleen (functional asplenia) Surgical removal of the spleen (splenectomy) is a rare disorder. Infants with this disorder often also have Overview of Heart Defects . have a spleen that does not function properly. Functional asplenia can be due to a variety of diseases. Common causes include Sickle Cell Disease , is surgical removal of the spleen. It can be done in otherwise healthy people after a Spleen Injury (such as after a motor vehicle accident) or in people with diseases that cause the When the spleen is removed or does not function, the body loses some of its ability to produce protective antibodies and to remove unwanted microorganisms from the blood. As a result, the body’s ability to fight infections is impaired. However, other organs (primarily the liver) compensate for the loss by increasing their infection-fighting ability and by monitoring for and removing red blood cells that are abnormal, too old, or damaged. . Because of this risk, people receive Overview of Immunization to help protect them from infection with these organisms. People should also be sure they receive the 