Outcome of patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy for primary hyperaldosteronism

To study the long-term outcome of patients with primary hyperaldosteronism who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy and to determine the preoperative predictive factors of persistent hypertension.

Between 1996 and 2002, 47 patients with primary hyperaldosteronism underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy at our institution. Their clinical and biochemical parameters were reviewed retrospectively, and the outcome of 46 patients with complete follow-up notes were determined.

The study comprised 16 male and 30 female patients with a mean age of 45.6 years (range, 18 to 63 years). Almost all patients had hypertension and hypokalemia at presentation, requiring medication. The average operating time was 127 minutes (range, 70 to 240 min), and the mean postoperative stay was 2.6 days (range, 1 to 5 days). No mortalities occurred, and perioperative morbidity was minimal. Forty-two (91%) patients had adrenal cortical adenoma (including 1 with both adenoma and hyperplasia), and 4 (9%) had adrenal hyperplasia on histology. The average follow-up time was 21 months (range, 1 to 60 months), and at the end of follow-up, all patients had normal serum potassium levels without potassium supplements. Twenty-three (50%) patients were cured of hypertension, and 13 (28%) patients had better control of their hypertension as evidenced by the decrease in the number of antihypertensive medications used. On multivariate analysis, the age of the patient at surgery was shown to be an independent predictive factor of persistent hypertension after successful surgery.

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe and effective way to treat primary hyperaldosteronism, especially in controlling hypokalemia and in the management of hypertension. The age of a patient at surgery is an independent preoperative risk factor of persistent hypertension.