Adverse factors responsible for below-normal platelet count after laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection.

Background/aims: Splenectomy is regarded as an effective curative treatment for thrombocytopenia caused by hypersplenism in patients with cirrhosis. However, in clinical practice, thrombocytopenia is not resolved by splenectomy in all patients. This study aimed to evaluate the adverse factors responsible for platelet (PLT) counts below the normal lower limit following laparoscopic splenectomy and azygoportal disconnection (LSD).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of 123 cirrhotic patients with portal hypertensive bleeding and secondary hypersplenism, who underwent LSD and who had PLT counts <125×109/L (non-normal group) or >125×109/L (normal group) at the postoperative month (POM) 3, between April 2014 and March 2017.

Results: Sixteen patients (13.01%) had PLT counts <125×109/L at POM 3 after LSD, while the remaining 107 patients had normal counts. We analyzed 25 perioperative variables in both groups. A logistic multivariate regression identified age (relative risk [RR] 1.082, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.018-1.150) and longitudinal spleen diameter (RR 0.977, 95% CI 0.955-1.000) as significant independent factors for the PLT count <125×109/L at POM 3. Bivariate correlation analysis showed that age >50 years and longitudinal spleen diameter <160 mm were threshold values for an increased risk of the PLT count <125×109/L at POM 3 after LSD.

Conclusion: Age was an independent positive predictor and longitudinal spleen diameter an independent negative predictor of PLT count <125×109/L at POM 3 after LSD.