Surgery

There is no surgical cure for sickle cell disease.

Some sickle cell disease complications are treated by surgery. These surgeries involve:

• Removing the spleen (splenectomy), to prevent the trapping of too many red blood cells in the spleen (splenic sequestration).
• Removing the gallbladder (cholecystectomy), to prevent problems caused by gallstones.
• Draining fluid from the penis in cases of severe priapism.
• Hip replacement, if the tissue in the hip breaks down and dies because it doesn't get enough blood (osteonecrosis).