Splenectomy and splenic slice grafting in the management of thalassemia

Over the last decade and a half, we performed a splenectomy along with slic e grafting of the spleen in 170 (beta 28 and E beta 142) transfusion-depend ent, high-risk thalassemic patients. Of these, 17 were selected for study o f the fate of the grafts and their immune status before and after operation . The procedure had equally good advantages of splenectomy and immunoconser vation as partial splenectomy, partial splenic embolization, or partial spl enic dearterialization, if not better, but none of the disadvantages of the other procedures.