Chronic symptoms of anemia and splenomegaly typically indicate dietary supplementation of iron and eventual treatment by splenectomy, the surgical removal of the spleen.

While splenectomy does not affect the shape of the blood cells, it does remove the more obvious physical symptoms of the disorder, as the blood cells are no longer constantly broken down. Though it offers near-immediate relief from symptoms, splenectomy is often not performed until the patient is in late childhood, so as not to hinder the patient’s ability to fight off childhood infections. Currently, the surgery is often performed laparoscopically; this results in a shorter recovery time and a much smaller scar.

Given that surgery is preplanned, it is highly recommended that patients receive prior Pneumovax-II pneumococcus, conjugated-C meningococcus & Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccinations to combat the patient’s new lower tolerance against overwhelming post-splenectomy infection. The Pneumovax needs repeating every six years and the patient should have a yearly flu vaccine. Prophylactic antibiotics are also given. (See asplenia for further details on these measures).