Spleen Tumor

The second surgery I observed was a tumor that had grown on the spleen. In the x-ray, a large mass about the size of a silver dollar could be made out around the area of the spleen. By running a hand along the abdomen of the dog, a large lump could be felt below the skin and ribcage. A spleen tumor is the best kind of tumor an animal can get because the spleen can be completely removed without causing much damage to the animal. This part of the body assists in storing blood, disintegrating old blood cells, and filtering bacteria and other foreign substances from the body. However, it is not vital and an animal or human could survive without it because over time other organs like the liver will take over its functions. The only side affect is a decrease in immunity and ability to fight disease.

As seen in the picture to the right, the spleen in located between the stomach and the small intestine as well as the liver. Therefore, if the tumor spreads, it will start to adhere to any of these other internal organs, causes problems for both the dog and the veterinarian who is trying to surgically remove it. This was the case in the surgery I observed. After the entire spleen was removed from the inside of the dog, the tumor was almost half the size of the organ itself, but the amount of blood clotting caused it to look even more enlarged. Blood clotting is common in animals with fast-growing tumors because of the fact that, as the tumor grows, it will crack occasionally and release blood into the body which then clots and forms obstruction in the abdomen.

The problem with this dog was the fact that the tumor had spread from the spleen and had been starting to adhere to the stomach and liver, making it very difficult to remove it without damaging those organs. In order to do the removal, surgical clamps had to be put on all of the blood vessels and arteries that were attached to the spleen (and there are many because it is a very vascular organ) and had to be tied off.

The top images show the size of the actual tumor/mass after the surrounding blood clots were removed.