Laparoscopic splenectomy in the elderly: A morbid procedure?

Background: Laparoscopic splenectomy has emerged as the gold standard for elective splenectomy. Few reports have critically evaluated the results of laparoscopic splenectomy in elderly patients. Methods: All laparoscopic splenectomies performed between August 19, 1998 and June 8, 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: Of 235 splenectomies, 188 were performed for patients younger than age 65 years (group 1), and 45 were performed for patients 65 years of age or older (group 2). The groups were demographically similar, except for the average age and the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) classification. Operative characteristics were similar, but the average length of hospital stay differed: 2.2 days for group 1 and 3.9 days for group 2 (p < 0.03). Complications occurred for 8.5% of group 1 and 17.8% of group 2, but the percentages were similar by ASA class. Conclusions: Elderly patients have a higher rate of complications after laparoscopic splenectomy. The complications are similar when matched for ASA class, but a larger percentage of elderly patients fall into higher ASA class ratings.