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by Carson-DeWitt R

Surgical Procedures for Sickle Cell Disease

For Treating Complications

Surgical procedures that may be necessary to treat complications of sickle cell disease include:
  • Splenectomy —to remove a spleen destroyed by sickle cell disease or to try to prevent recurrent sickle cell crises (the evidence that this can help is still incomplete)
  • Hip replacement —to treat a hip destroyed by avascular necrosis
  • Gall bladder surgery —to remove a gall bladder that isn’t functioning properly
  • Laser eye surgery—for complications affecting your vision

References

Cecil Textbook of Medicine . 22nd ed. W.B. Saunders Company; 2003.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/ .

Owusu-Ofori S, Riddington C. Splenectomy versus conservative management for acute sequestration crises in people with sickle cell disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev . 2002;(4):CD003425.

Sickle Cell Disease Association of America website. Available at: http://www.sicklecelldisease.org/ .

Weiner CM. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine . 17th ed. New York, NY: McGraw – Hill; 2008.

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