Wound healing of the injured spleen with and without splenorrhaphy.

Splenic wound healing was studied following splenorrhaphy and observational therapy for both canine and porcine splenic injury. The splenorrhaphy group included four adult male dogs and two adult male pigs studied 3 weeks postinjury. The observational therapy group included three dogs and three pigs examined at 3 weeks and three dogs and two pigs examined 6 weeks postinjury. The wound breaking strength (WBS) 3 weeks after splenorrhaphy was significantly greater than WBS of normal splenic tissue (0.41 vs. 0.71 kg/cm2 in dogs; 0.22 vs. 0.35 kg/cm2 in pigs). WBS 3 weeks after observant therapy for splenic injury in dogs was significantly less than normal (0.66 vs. 0.37 kg/cm2). No WBS differences were seen 3 weeks after observant therapy in pigs nor 6 weeks after observant therapy in dogs or pigs. Prolonged convalescence following splenic injury treated by repair or by observation appears unwarranted.