Laparoscopic adrenal metastasectomy: appropriate, safe, and feasible

The role of adrenalectomy in management of isolated metastatic adrenal tumors is increasingly established. Laparoscopy is becoming the preferred approach for these resections. We evaluated surgical and oncological outcomes of patients who underwent laparoscopic versus open adrenal metastasectomy and assessed the effect of such surgery on postoperative adjuvant therapy and survival.

We reviewed our institutional experience with adult patients who underwent an adrenal metastasectomy from 1997 to 2013. We assessed preoperative tumor size, operating room (OR) time, status of resection margin, and length of stay (LOS), as well as oncological outcomes including the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy within 1 year of surgery and 5-year survival. The χ (2) test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Kaplan-Meier curve were used for statistical analysis.

Thirty-eight patients were identified. Lung was the primary site of malignancy (52.6 % of cases). Of the metastasectomies, 55.2 % (n = 21) were performed laparoscopically and 44.7 % (n = 17) were open. In the laparoscopic group, median tumor size was 2.6 cm versus 4.8 cm in the open group (p = 0.09). Median OR time and complication rates were similar between the 2 groups. The laparoscopic group, however, trended toward a shorter LOS (3 days laparoscopic vs. 4 days for open; p = 0.07). At 1 year, 37 % of all patients had not required any adjuvant chemotherapy or adjuvant radiotherapy.

This series confirms that adrenal metastasectomy leads to favorable oncological outcomes in select patient groups, with over one-third of patients not requiring adjuvant therapy for at least 1 year after their resection. Laparoscopic approach leads to excellent oncological resection margins without increasing OR time and with a possible reduction in LOS.