Eight-year experience with transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenal surgery

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is currently the technique of choice for removing benign adrenal lesions. Various laparoscopic techniques and approaches have been reported using the transperitoneal or retroperitoneal approach. We present our 8-year experience with and long-term results of transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between October 1992 and October 2000, 161 laparoscopic approaches to the adrenal gland were performed, including 145 unilateral and 10 bilateral adrenalectomies, and 6 conservative operations. Patients were placed in the 60-degree flank position with the bed flexed to increase the surgical field. To avoid hypertensive crisis, especially in patients with pheochromocytoma, the first step involved early ligation of the adrenal vein. RESULTS: The laparoscopic procedure was successfully completed in all except 4 cases, which were converted to open surgery. Mean operative time was 160 minutes in the unilateral, 245 in the bilateral and 90 in the conservative group. Delayed complications included hemoperitoneum in 3 patients, which was drained surgically, severe blood loss in 3 treated with blood transfusion and wound infection in 2. Patients were ambulatory on the morning of postoperative day 1 and were discharged home 2.8, 5 and 1.8 days after unilateral, bilateral and conservative surgery, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomy is a safe, effective, minimally invasive approach in patients with benign functioning or nonfunctioning adrenal masses. This technique involves low morbidity, minimal postoperative analgesic requirements and a short hospital stay.