Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for bilateral metachronous aldosteronomas

Introduction:

Primary aldosteronism affects 5% to 13% of patients with hypertension. Idiopathic bilateral hyperplasia (IHA) and unilateral aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) are the most common types of primary aldosteronism. Bilateral APA is a very rare entity with only a few reports in the literature. We present the case of a patient with metachronous bilateral APA treated with metachronous bilateral total and near total adrenalectomy.

Case Report:

A 66-year-old female was evaluated for hypokalemia and hypertension refractory to medical therapy 2 years after laparoscopic adrenalectomy for right APA. Follow-up abdominal CT scan revealed a new 1.1-cm left adrenal mass. The patient underwent a laparoscopic near total adrenalectomy for her new left adrenal mass. Pathology examination revealed a new APA. The operation and the patient''s postoperative course were uneventful. Potassium levels were normalized and her hypertension became well controlled.

Conclusion:

APA can present metachronously months to years after adrenalectomy for APA in the contralateral adrenal gland. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy remains the approach of choice for this pathology.     

Combined robotic lobectomy and adrenalectomy for lung cancer and solitary adrenal metastasis

Background and Objectives:

Surgical resection of isolated adrenal metastasis in primary lung cancer is associated with improved survival. We report a combined robotic lobectomy and adrenalectomy for resection of a primary lung cancer and metastasis to the adrenal gland.

Methods:

A 69-year-old male with a significant smoking history and shortness of breath was found to have a 3-cm left upper lobe mass with an enlarged left adrenal gland measuring 1.5cm. The adrenal gland was biopsied confirming metastatic poorly differentiated carcinoma, likely lung cancer. Computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and mediastinoscopy revealed no evidence of disease outside the adrenal gland.

Results:

Following induction chemotherapy, the patient underwent combination robotic lobectomy, lymphadenectomy, and adrenalectomy while in the same lateral decubitus position. Thoracic and urologic oncology teams performed their respective portions of the operation. Overall operative time was 4 hours, and length of hospital stay was 3 days. Estimated blood loss was 150mL with no narcotic requirements beyond the first postoperative day. Final pathology revealed large cell carcinoma of the lung with metastasis to the adrenal. All surgical margins were negative.

Conclusions:

Combination robotic lobectomy and adrenalectomy is feasible and can be associated with a short convalescence, minimal pain, and an oncologically sound approach.     

Laparoscopic Resection of Giant Adrenal Cavernous Hemangioma

Background:

Large adrenal tumors were initially believed to be a relative contraindication to laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Methods:

Here we discuss the case of a 42-year-old female with a 12-cm adrenal mass.

Results:

The patient underwent successful laparoscopic resection, and pathology revealed a cavernous hemangioma, a rare benign tumor of the adrenal gland.

Conclusion:

The following is a discussion of the case, laparoscopic resection technique, and brief review of adrenal hemangiomas. In experienced hands, adrenal mass size should not be considered a contraindication to laparoscopic intervention.     

Primary hyperaldosteronism and adrenal incidentaloma: an argument for physiologic testing before adrenalectomy

Objective

To determine the frequency of nonfunctioning adrenal masses in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism.

Design

A case series.

Setting

A tertiary care hypertension clinic.

Patients

Twenty-seven consecutive patients with primary hyperaldosteronism.

Measurements

Blood pressure, serum electrolytes, supine and upright plasma renin, cortisol and aldosterone levels, selective adrenal vein aldosterone and cortisol levels, adrenal computed tomography (CT) scans and pathology reports.

Results

There was considerable overlap in the clinical features and laboratory investigations for patients with unilateral aldosteronoma and those with bilateral adrenal hyperplasia. Of the 27 patients who had confirmed primary hyperaldosteronism investigated at this centre, 25 had a definitive diagnosis assigned on the basis of postural stimulation tests, adrenal CT scans, and bilateral adrenal vein sampling, surgery or a combination of test results. Of this group, 18 had adrenal masses visualized on CT. However, only 13 of these 18 patients had an adrenal aldosteronoma subsequently proven by selective adrenal vein sampling or surgery, or both; the other 5 patients were found to have bilateral adrenal hyperplasia with nonfunctioning adrenal masses. CT had a sensitivity of 100% for the diagnosis of aldosteronoma, but the specificity was only 58% and the positive predictive value was only 72%. The likelihood ratio for the diagnosis of aldosteronoma in patients with primary hyperaldosteronism and an adrenal mass on CT was only 2.4.

Conclusion

Given the poor specificity of CT in patients with primary aldosteronism, full biochemical and physiologic testing should be done before adrenalectomy in patients with suspected adrenal aldosteronoma.     

Adrenal Schwannoma Treated With Laparoscopic Surgery

Objective:

We report a case of left adrenal schwannoma in a 62-year-old man, incidentally discovered on an abdominal computed tomography. It was successfully treated with laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Methods:

On admission, no remarkable findings were recognized in the patient''s blood and urine examination, including adrenal function. Laparoscopic left adrenalectomy was performed with the diagnosis of a nonfunctioning adrenal tumor.

Results:

Macroscopically, the tumor (45 mm × 30 mm, 60 g) arose from the medulla of the adrenal gland with a clear border distinguishing it from surrounding tissues. Histologically, the tumor consisted uniformly of spindle cells that were positive for S-100. The cortex was compressed but showed no atrophy. The diagnosis of adrenal schwannoma was made.

Conclusion:

Although an increasing number of adrenal incidentaloma have been identified with the recent advances in imaging techniques, only a few cases of schwannoma of the adrenal gland have been reported. We reviewed the cases reported previously in an attempt to reveal the characteristic features of this rare disease.     

A rare cavernous hemangioma of the adrenal gland

INTRODUCTION

Cavernous hemangiomas of the adrenal gland are rare. We report a case of a cavernous hemangioma of the adrenal gland presenting as an adrenal incidentaloma suspicious for adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC).

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 78 year old woman was admitted after a fall. Abdominal computed tomography revealed a large right adrenal lesion with features suspicious for adrenal cortical carcinoma (5.4 cm × 3.3 cm, unilateral, tumor calcifications, average Hounsfield units 55). The tumor was removed intact by a laparoscopic approach and pathology revealed a cavernous hemangioma of the adrenal gland.

DISCUSSION

Adrenal incidentalomas are found in up to 10% of patients undergoing abdominal imaging. Differential diagnosis includes both benign and malignant lesions. Guidelines for removal of adrenal incidentalomas recommend surgery based on functional status, size, and presence of concerning features on diagnostic imaging. Cavernous hemangiomas are rare, benign vascular malformations which can be challenging to distinguish pre-operatively from malignant lesions such as ACC.

CONCLUSION

Cavernous hemangiomas of the adrenal gland are exceedingly rare. These benign tumors have imaging features which may be suggestive of adrenal cortical carcinoma. The treatment of choice is surgical excision due the difficulty of excluding malignancy.     

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Ureterolysis: Case Report and Literature Review of the Minimally Invasive Surgical Approach

Objectives:

To evaluate our case of robot-assisted ureterolysis (RU), describe our surgical technique, and review the literature on minimally invasive ureterolysis.

Methods:

One patient managed with robot-assisted ureterolysis for idiopathic retroperitoneal fibrosis was identified. The chart was analyzed for demographics, operative parameters, and immediate postoperative outcome. The surgical technique was assessed and modified. Lastly, a review of the published literature on ureterolysis managed with minimally invasive surgery was performed.

Results:

One patient underwent robot-assisted ureterolysis at our institution in 2 separate settings. Operative time (OR) decreased from 279 minutes to 191 minutes. Estimated blood loss (EBL) was less than 50mL. The patient has been free of symptoms and both renal units are unobstructed. According to the published literature, 302 renal units underwent successful laparoscopic ureterolysis (LU), and 6 renal units underwent RU. There were 9 open conversions (all in LU). Mean OR in LU was 248 minutes for unilateral and 386 minutes for bilateral cases. In RU, mean OR was 220 minutes for unilateral and 390 minutes for bilateral cases. EBL averaged 200mL in LU and 30 mL in RU.

Conclusions:

Our data reveal that robot-assisted ureterolysis is safe and feasible. Published data demonstrate the advantages of minimally invasive surgery.     

Ovarian Lymphoma and Hydronephrosis

Introduction:

Ovarian lymphoma is a rare entity, and hydronephrosis from lymphoma is even rarer. Most reports describe a laparoscopic approach to the disease, but we report a case of hydroureteronephrosis associated with ovarian lymphoma managed completely by mini-invasive techniques.

Case Report:

A 51-year-old woman was referred to us for back pain and renal colic and computed tomography scan findings of right hydroureteronephrosis and a mass in the right mesorectum and uterosacral ligament.After magnetic resonance imaging was performed, the patient underwent laparoscopic adnexectomy and ureterolysis after ureteroscopy and stenting. Histology results showed diffuse B-cell lymphoma of the ovary occluding the ureter without infiltration. The patient has undergone 6 cycles of chemotherapy.

Discussion:

This is the first report to describe ovarian lymphoma and hydroureteronephrosis managed completely by laparoscopic surgery and endoscopy. Frequency in clinical practice, differential diagnosis, and endoscopic approach are discussed. The advantages of a multidisciplinary endoscopic team are underlined.     

Laparoscopic Resection of Solitary Adrenal Metastasis from Lung Carcinoma: A Case Report

Background and Objectives:

Patients with adrenal metastases from bronchogenic carcinoma are considered incurable and any surgical treatment is usually excluded. A review of the few cases of adrenalectomy for metastases from lung cancer that have been reported in the literature shows that good results can be achieved in selected patients. We propose a laparoscopic approach to perform the adrenalectomy in these patients.

Methods:

A right laparoscopic adrenalectomy for metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma was performed. The right adrenal was resected using the anterior transperitoneal laparoscopic approach.

Results:

The tumor was resected in total. The operating time was two hours. One year after surgery the patient remains well.

Conclusions:

The current indications for laparoscopic adrenalectomy can include the removal of small metastatic adrenal lesions in selected cases.     

A cross-sectional study of cryptorchidism in children: testicular volume and hormonal function at 18 years of age

Purpose

To evaluate the relationship between unilateral or bilateral criptorchidism, patient age, primary location of the gonad and modality of treatment with testicular volume and hormonal status at 18 years in patients diagnosed and treated for cryptorchidism during childhood.

Materials and Methods

Testicular volume, LH, FSH, and testosterone were evaluated in 143 young men at 18 years treated in childhood for unilateral (n=103) or bilateral (n=40) cryptorchidism.

Results

Unilateral cryptorchidism: Location of testis was prescrotal in 36 patients, inguinal in 52 and non-palpable in 15. The mean volume was 9.7 mL compared to 16.2 mL. for the spontaneously descended testicle in unilateral cryptorchidism. However, 22 patients who received HCG had a significantly bigger testis (11.8 mL.) than those treated with primary surgery (9.2 mL). The results showed a significant positive correlation between testicular volume and patient age at treatment.

Bilateral cryptorchidism

Location of testis was prescrotal in 34 cases, inguinal in 40 and 6 patients with non-palpable testicles. Mean volume at 18 years was 12.9 mL, greater than unilateral cryptorchid testis (9.7 mL) but smaller than healthy contralateral in unilateral cases (16.2 mL). There were significant differences in the testicular growth for bilateral patients with testicular descent after being treated with HCG (14.4 mL) in respect with those untreated (11.1 mL) or those who underwent primary surgery (11.4 mL). There was a significant positive correlation between the testicular volume and palpable (12.4 mL) or non-palpable testis (10.4 mL). There was a correlation between unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism and levels of FSH.

Conclusions

Testicular volume and hormonal function at 18 years for patients diagnosed and treated for cryptorchidism during childhood are strongly influenced by whether the undescended testis was unilateral or bilateral. Location of the testes at diagnosis or age of initial treatment exerts no definite effect on testicular volume improvement or hormonal levels at 18 years of age.     

Laparoscopic single site adrenalectomy using a conventional laparoscope and instrumentation

Background and Objectives:

We present a case of Laparoendoscopic Single Site Surgery (LESS) left adrenalectomy performed with a conventional laparoscope and instruments.

Methods:

A 45-year-old male was diagnosed with hyperaldosteronism. Computed tomography detected a left adrenal nodule. Bilateral adrenal vein sampling was consistent with a left-sided source for hyperaldosteronism.

Results:

Total operative time for LESS left adrenalectomy was 120 minutes. The surgery was performed with conventional instruments, a standard 5-mm laparoscope, and a SILS port, with no additional incisions or trocars needed. No complications occurred, and the patient reported an uneventful recovery.

Conclusions:

LESS adrenalectomy is a feasible procedure. Although articulating instruments and laparoscopes may offer advantages, LESS adrenalectomy can be done without these.     

Laparoscopic Resection of an Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Splenic Sarcoma

Background:

Splenic tumors are rare. Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the spleen is one of the least common primary splenic tumors. Review of the literature shows that a laparoscopic resection has never been tried.

Method:

We discuss the case of a 76-year-old man with a 7-cm MFH in the spleen and present a review of splenic sarcomas.

Results:

The patient underwent a successful laparoscopic splenectomy; pathology revealed a rare undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of the spleen. A review of the international literature identified 15 additional cases of primary splenic MFH. Survival was rarely longer than 15 months.

Conclusion:

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the spleen is an exceedingly rare tumor with a poor prognosis. In experienced hands, laparoscopic splenectomy is a feasible operative choice for primary splenic sarcoma.     

Caseating Granulomata Caused by Hemostatic Agent Posing as Metastatic Leiomyosarcoma

Background:

As the number of minimally invasive and laparoscopic procedures increases, hemostatic agents are becoming more popular as a means of achieving rapid hemostasis.

Case Report:

The patient is a 61-year-old woman who underwent a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy. FloSeal Hemostatic Matrix (Baxter Healthcare, Deerfield Illinois) was used at the conclusion of the procedure.

Results:

Pathology unexpectedly revealed high-grade leiomyosarcoma of the uterus. The patient then presented to our facility for consultation and was scheduled for robotic trachelectomy and lymphadenectomy. Laparoscopy revealed nodular lesions throughout the abdomen and pelvis. Biopsies were performed and the case aborted. Final pathology however showed caseating foreign body giant cell granulomata in all specimens. No malignancy was found. The patient then underwent exploratory laparotomy, trachelectomy, and a staging procedure. All pathology specimens and pelvic washings were negative for malignancy.

Conclusions:

Use of gelatin-thrombin hemostatic agents may elicit a foreign body reaction leading to large giant cell granulomata. In this case, the presence of these granulomata mimicked metastatic disease.     

Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy in a Patient with Situs Inversus

Background:

Situs inversus is a relatively rare congenital disease. A patient with a right adrenal tumor complicated by total situs inversus was treated by laparoscopy.

Case Discussion:

The patient was a 45-y-old male with lower limb weakness. He had been diagnosed with situs inversus during a general health check-up as an infant. His blood pressure was 230/160 mm Hg, and the serum potassium level was 2.0 mEq/L. Abdominal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass of about 2cm in diameter in contact with the right adrenal gland. Total situs inversus was simultaneously confirmed. The plasma aldosterone concentration was elevated to 442pg/mL, and renin activity was suppressed, at 0.3ng/mL/hr.

Discussion:

These findings indicated a diagnosis of primary aldosteronism due to an adrenal tumor, and the right adrenal tumor was resected laparoscopically. The right adrenal gland was approached and resected from the lateral side of the spleen, which was located on the right side because of situs inversus. The resected specimen was 4.5cm×1.6cm, and no intraoperative complications occurred. The histopathological examination showed the tumor to be an aldosterone-producing adrenocortical adenoma.     

Hospital Costs Associated With Laparoscopic and Open Inguinal Herniorrhaphy

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to compare the total hospital costs associated with elective laparoscopic and open inguinal herniorrhaphy.

Methods:

A prospectively maintained database was used to identify patients who underwent elective inguinal herniorrhaphy from April 2009 to March 2011. A retrospective review of electronic patient records was performed along with a standardized case-costing analysis using data from the Ontario Case Costing Initiative. The main outcomes were operating room (OR) and total hospital costs.

Results:

Two hundred eleven patients underwent elective unilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy (117 open and 94 laparoscopic), and 33 patients underwent elective bilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy (9 open and 24 laparoscopic). OR and total hospital costs for open unilateral inguinal hernia repair were significantly lower than for the laparoscopic approach (median total cost, $3207.15 vs $3723.66; P < .001). OR and total hospital costs for repair of elective bilateral inguinal hernias were similar between the open and laparoscopic approaches (median total cost, $4574.02 vs $4662.89; P = .827).

Conclusions:

In the setting of a Canadian academic hospital, when considering the repair of an elective unilateral inguinal hernia, the OR and total hospital costs of open surgery were significantly lower than for the laparoscopic techniques. There was no statistical difference between OR and total hospital costs when comparing open surgery and laparoscopic techniques for the repair of bilateral inguinal hernias. Given the perioperative benefits of laparoscopy, further studies incorporating hernia-specific outcomes are necessary to determine the cost-effectiveness of each approach and to define the optimal treatment strategy.     

The risk of cerebrovascular accident in patients with asymptomatic critical carotid artery stenosis who undergo open-heart surgery

Objective

To investigate whether the presence of asymptomatic critical carotid stenosis (ASCCS) increases the risk of perioperative stroke during open-heart surgery, which carries a well-established risk of cerebrovascular accidents.

Design

A case series.

Setting

A university-affiliated hospital that is a major referral centre for cardiovascular surgery.

Patients

Forty-six patients with ASCCS who underwent open-heart surgery between January 1992 and January 1996. Of this group, 27 had bilateral and 19 had unilateral critical carotid artery stenosis.

Interventions

Various cardiac procedures were performed on the 46 patients: 33 underwent coronary bypass grafting, 12 had valve replacement and 1 had heart transplantation.

Main outcome measure

Neurologic deficit.

Results

None of the patients had any perioperative neurologic deficit up to the date of discharge.

Conclusions

Cardiac procedures, without prior carotid artery surgery, can be done in patients with AS-CCS with no significant added risk of stroke. To achieve this, blood pressure should be kept stable intraoperatively, at slightly higher than normal pressure.     

Laparoscopic Approach for Metachronous Cecal and Sigmoid Volvulus

Background:

Metachronous colonic volvulus is a rare event that has never been approached laparoscopically.

Methods:

Here we discuss the case of a 63-year-old female with a metachronous sigmoid and cecal volvulus.

Results:

The patient underwent 2 separate successful laparoscopic resections.

Discussion and Conclusion:

The following is a discussion of the case and the laparoscopic technique, accompanied by a brief review of colonic volvulus. In experienced hands, laparoscopy is a safe approach for acute colonic volvulus.     

Adrenalectomy by Retroperitoneal Laparoendoscopic Single Site Surgery

Background:

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the current standard for treatment of benign adrenal disease. To reduce the invasiveness of surgery, new techniques have been recently proposed, such as mini-laparoscopy, natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery, and laparoendoscopic single site surgery (LESS). Herein, we describe one case of adrenalectomy by retroperitoneal LESS using conventional laparoscopic instruments and ports.

Case Report:

A 52-year-old female patient with an incidental finding of a 3-cm mass in the left adrenal was referred to us. Preoperative blood concentrations of catecholamines, aldosterone, and cortisol, and urinary excretion of vanilmandelic acid were normal. She underwent an adrenalectomy by retroperitoneal LESS using conventional instruments and ports. Operative time and estimated blood loss were 82 minutes and <50cc, respectively. She was discharged 12 hours after surgery. No intra- or postoperative complications occurred. Pathological analysis of the specimen identified an adrenal cortical adenoma.

Conclusion:

Adrenalectomy by retroperitoneal LESS using conventional laparoscopic instruments is feasible. Further studies must be performed to evaluate safety, indications and benefits of this approach.     

Increased complication rate in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy

Objectives:

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become the standard of care for resection of adrenal masses, with extremely low morbidity and mortality. This study investigates the difference in outcomes in patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy, comparing obese with healthy weight patients.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was performed on patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy between January 2000 and February 2010. Intraoperative and postoperative complications in the patients were compared. A patient with a body mass index >30kg/m² was considered obese.

Results:

Eighty patients underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy between January 2000 and February 2010. Forty-nine patients (61%) were considered obese based on the body mass index criteria. Operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay did not differ significantly between the 2 cohort groups. There was no 30-day mortality in the population. There were 9 complications in the obese population and no complications in the healthy weight population (P<.011). Four obese patients had intraoperative complications, and 5 obese patients had postoperative morbidity.

Conclusions:

A significant increase occurred in intraoperative and postoperative complications for obese individuals undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy compared with healthy weight individuals. However, high body mass index should not preclude elective laparoscopic adrenalectomy.     

Laparoscopic Excision of Endometriosis May Require Unilateral Parametrectomy

Objective:

We investigated the effects of laparoscopic excision of endometriosis with unilateral parametrectomy on bladder, rectal, and sexual function as well as patient satisfaction.

Methods:

Women who underwent this procedure between February 1, 2006 and November 15, 2007 were enrolled. Patient characteristics, pre- and postoperative findings, and follow-up data were retrospectively collected from a computerized database.

Results:

Twelve patients were enrolled in the study. All of the symptoms except dysuria improved after surgery, worsening long after the operation. It seems that all parameters including sexuality, micturition, and defecation are equally important in regards to the final judgement of satisfaction, with a trend towards amelioration long after the operation.

Conclusions:

Unilateral parametrectomy may offer successful results in terms of patient satisfaction despite some impairment in bladder, bowel, and sexual function. The risk of permanent functional impairment is high; therefore, surgeons need to maintain the integrity of the contralateral nerve pathway. This is highly important, because pain relief seems to be partially involved in the final judgement of postoperation satisfaction.