Liver cirrhosis can cause multiple severe complications, including portal hypertension-induced hypersplenism and oesophageal variceal bleeding. In recent years, with widespread application of different treatments such as drug therapy, splenic artery embolization and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, the role of surgical resection in the management of portal hypertension has been gradually weakened. However, combined with the actual clinical situation in China, splenectomy, as the main surgical treatment for portal hypertension, is still of significance, which can not be completely replaced by alternative options.Splenectomy combined with selective pericardial devascularization is the most common procedure to treat hypersplenism and oesophageal variceal bleeding caused by portal hypertension, which has been widely applied in Chinese hospitals at all levels and saved the lives of patients. However, complications post-splenectomy limit further improvement in the quality of life of patients with portal hypertension. In this review, the complications after splenectomy were systematically analyzed, aiming to provide theoretical basis for refined management of patients with portal hypertension.