Spleen Diseases: What the Spleen Does and Living Without One

Your spleen

Your spleen sits above your stomach and under your ribs on the left side, and is about as big as your fist. It belongs to the lymphatic system, which fights infection and keeps body fluids in balance.

It:

• holds white blood cells that fight germs;
• helps control the amount of blood in your body;
• destroys old and damaged cells.

When things go wrong

• Swelling. Certain diseases can make the spleen swell.
• Rupture. An injury can damage or rupture the spleen — especially one that is already swollen.
• Removal. A spleen too badly damaged may need surgery to take it out.

Living without a spleen

You can live without one. Other organs, such as your liver, take over some of its work. But your body loses some of its ability to fight infections.

Sources

Based on "Spleen Diseases," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine; a work of the United States government in the public domain.