Four-port laparoscopic partial splenectomy + cholecystectomy

   Patient, female, 50 years old. She was admitted to the hospital with “recurrent discomfort in the right upper abdomen for 5 years and a spleen occupancy for 1 week”. ultrasound and CT examination diagnosed cholecystitis, gallbladder stones and a 3 cm mass in the lower pole of the spleen. Tumor marker CA724 was elevated. The indications for laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholecystitis and gallbladder stones were clear. The lower pole of the spleen was occupied with elevated tumor markers. The preoperative diagnosis of benign and malignant mass was difficult, and there was a need for resection pathology for diagnosis.  Currently, splenic surgery considers that whole spleen resection is prone to complications such as elevated platelets, portal vein thrombosis, and decreased immunity. Therefore, for benign splenic tumors, partial splenectomy is recommended to preserve the healthy spleen. Currently, partial splenectomy is rarely performed in China, and laparoscopic partial splenectomy is even less common. The gallbladder is located in the right upper abdomen and the spleen is located in the left upper abdomen, both of which are deep, so laparoscopic cholecystectomy + partial splenectomy has a high surgical difficulty.  We formulated the surgical plan after detailed reading of CT films. A four-hole abdominal approach was used to perform the surgery. The vessels entering the lower pole of the spleen were isolated, and the obvious splenic ischemic area including the mass was seen, and the spleen was severed along the ischemic line using energy platform ligasure. Complete resection of the lower pole of the spleen including the mass was performed. The abdominal cavity was removed. It was sent for frozen pathological examination. The surgical direction was then changed and cholecystectomy was performed. Pathology report showed no evidence of malignancy. A drainage tube was placed in the left splenic wound. The operation was concluded.  The patient recovered well after surgery without complications such as bleeding, fever, pancreatic fistula and portal vein thrombosis. The four-port approach laparoscopic partial splenectomy + cholecystectomy well reflects the concept of minimally invasive surgery, using the least possible trauma to resolve the patient’s disease.