SPARE PARTS

THe organs we can live without. This week: Spleen

MOST of us would struggle to locate the spleen, or identify what it does. But the fist-sized organ, which sits behind the ribs on the left side of the abdomen, is vital in fighting infection, producing white blood cells to ward off bacteria.

Yet people who’ve had their spleen removed, as a result of injuries or such diseases as cancer, can survive perfectly well without it. One reason is that its infection-fighting duties can be taken over by the liver.

Dr Andrew Goddard, spokesman for the Royal College of Physicians and a consultant physician at the Royal Derby Hospital, says: ‘Patients who have had spleen removal notice no side-effects. But they are at increased risk of infection from certain organisms, particularly bacteria that cause meningitis and pneumonia, so some need regular doses of antibiotics.’