Indications for splenectomy during whole liver transplantation remain controversial and splenectomy is often avoided because of common complications. The objective is to evaluate specific complications of these combined procedures.

Data on patients who underwent splenectomy during liver transplantation were retrospectively analyzed . Participants underwent splenectomy as part of routine medical care. Patients undergoing simultaneous liver transplantation and splenectomy were matched to a non-splenectomy group.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients undergoing liver transplantation between 1994 and 2013

Exclusion Criteria:

• Data from living donor patients, split liver transplantation, patients with pre- or post-operative splenectomy in medical history, and patients under 16 years were excluded from analysis

Among the 906 liver transplantations performed between 1994 and 2013 at the Liver Transplant Department of the Croix-Rousse University Hospital, Lyon-France, all 47 liver transplantations with simultaneous splenectomy were included and compared to 94 transplant recipients without splenectomy after a 1:2 matching for gender, age at transplantation, year of liver transplantation, MELD score, platelet level and presence of hepatocellular carcinoma.