Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy: a case report and review of the literature

Adrenal-sparing surgery has recently been reported in the literature on minimally-invasive surgery. Originally described as a conventional laparoscopic procedure, encouraging outcomes in terms of preservation of adrenal function have been reported. Since the introduction of robotic surgery, surgeons have utilized robotic assistance for adrenal surgery and have recently described adrenal-sparing surgery using this platform. Certain patients that present with adrenal masses may benefit from minimally-invasive partial adrenalectomy, including those with a solitary adrenal gland, bilateral adrenal masses, and hereditary disease predisposing them to multiple adrenal masses. Patients without these conditions may also benefit from adrenal-sparing surgery in order to preserve normal adrenal function. We present the case of a patient with a 1.5-cm adrenal mass who elected to undergo adrenal-sparing surgery. The technique of transperitoneal laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy utilizing the da Vinci™ Surgical System is described. We also review the literature on minimally-invasive partial adrenalectomy in which robotic-assistance was utilized. In conclusion, while robot-assisted laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy remains in its infancy, it can be performed safely and with satisfactory surgical and functional outcomes.