Do those who have sickle cell anemia usually get splenectomies?

That is not: A common strategy for sickle cell management, but could be recommended with a severe infarct.

Possibly: Other indications would include a recent splenic sequestration crisis (occurs in childhood), or in a patient receiving chronic transfusions for complications of sickle cell disease whose transfusion requirement increases due to collection and destruction of blood cells in an abnormally enlarged spleen. The latter is rare in sickle cell disease.