Background Open splenectomy and devascularization are effective treatments for cirrhotic patients with severe thrombocytopenia and variceal bleeding. However, it remains controversial whether laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) and devascularization (LSD) can be indicated and beneficial in these patients. Objectives A systematic review of the efficacy and safety of LS and LSD for patients with liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension was undertaken to clarify controversy about their utilization in such patients. Methods A systematic search strategy was performed to retrieve relevant studies from PubMed and Embase.com. The literature search and data extraction were independently performed by two reviewers. Results Sixteen articles met the inclusion criteria. The methodology of the identified articles was poor. Six hundred and fifty-one patients, including 478 LS patients and 173 LSD patients, were involved in efficacy and safety evaluations. There was wide variability in the outcome measures between studies. There was only one death in the patients underwent LSD. Reported major complications included post-operative bleeding requiring re-surgery, pancreatic leakage and gastric perforation. Seven studies were identified with comparisons between laparoscopic and open procedures. No meta-analysis was possible because of heterogeneity between studies and lack of randomization. Conclusions The publications reviewed revealed LS and LSD to be safe and effective in the setting of liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension. From the comparison articles, laparoscopic procedures appear to be superior to open procedures regarding blood loss, hospital stay, complication rate and liver function impairment. However, it is difficult to draw firm statistical conclusions due to lack of high-quality evidence.