AbstractSplenectomy may be indicated in malignant lymphoma for diagnosis, staging of the disease, or therapy. In the majority of cases of otherwise undiagnosed splenomegaly, it will allow histological diagnosis. A proportion of those who remain undiagnosed will subsequently develop lymphoma. Staging laparotomy has an established place in the management of Hodgkin's disease, but its role in non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma is very limited. Despite the poor general condition and long‐term prognosis of most patients with hypersplenism due to advanced lymphoma, splenectomy has a low morbidity and mortality, and usually results in correction of the hematological cytopenia which allows appropriate chemotherapy for the disease.During the past 10 years, 287 patients had their spleen removed under the care of one surgeon. One hundred and forty of these splenectomies were carried out as part of a staging laparotomy for Hodgkin's disease and 20% were for hypersplenism complicating malignant lymphoma. A further 34 patients (12%) had a splenectomy to establish a diagnosis and 26 of these patients proved to have a lymphoma. Forty‐six patients, who are not discussed further in this paper, had a splenectomy for various hematological disorders. There was 1 hospital death (0.3%) as a result of splenectomy and the overall morbidity rate for splenectomy was 14% in this series.