Overwhelming sepsis in splenectomized children may be a real threat to life. As an alternative to splenectomy, ligation of the splenic artery in combination with splenorrhaphy was used successfully in 2 children with splenic trauma involving major segmental vessels. In both patients the postoperative course was normal. Peripheral blood tests, immunological studies and scintigraphies disclosed no abnormalities of the spleen after the ligation of the splenic artery. Aortographies showed a collateral arterial network in the spleen. Eleven and twelve mo. after the operation, respectively, both cases-the 1st of this series-are presented and discussed.