Your doctor has recommended that you undergo a Splenectomy - or spleen removal surgery. But what does that actually mean? The spleen is one of the organs in your body that works to clean your blood. The Spleen is located behind the stomach... and to the left of the liver. Specifically, the spleen picks out and destroys red blood cells that are no longer useful. A Splenectomy is the surgical procedure used to permanently remove the spleen from the body. Reasons for removing the spleen vary. Most spleen removal surgery is performed in an emergency situation, during which internal bleeding may be putting a patient's life at risk. This program assumes, however, that you are not currently in an emergency setting. In your case, the reason for removing the Spleen may be to treat a blood disease, blood congestion, Gaucher's disease, white blood cell deficiency, the growth of a tumor, or the growth of cysts. Occasionally the Spleen is removed as part of an action taken to determine the best course of treatment for Hodgkin's disease.