The therapeutic effects of splenectomy in 15 patients with idiopathic hypersplenism were studied. The mean age was 43 years (range, 5-72 years). The male to female ratio was 1:1.14. The response to splenectomy was: in thrombocytopenia, complete response (CR) in 71%, partial response (PR) and no response (NR) in 14% each of patients; in anemia, CR in 83%, PR in 0%, and NR in 16% of patients; and in leukopenia, CR in 78% and PR and NR in 11% each of patients. However, the morbidity (27%) and mortality (20%) observed was quite high. Thus, we conclude that splenectomy is an excellent treatment to improve the hematological parameters in patients with idiopathic hypersplenism, but elderly patients and patients with multisystem disease should not have this surgery.