Robotic versus laparoscopic adrenalectomy: what is the best?

Evaluation of: Karabulut K, Agcaoglu O, Aliyev S et al. Comparison of intraoperative time use and perioperative outcomes for robotic versus laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Surgery 151(4), 537-542 (2012) Currently, laparoscopic adrenalectomy is regarded as the preferred surgical approach for the management of most adrenal surgical disorders. Despite the benefits of laparoscopic adrenalectomy over open approaches, the procedure has shortcomings such as the absence of 3D perception, reduced dexterity and poor ergonomics for the surgeon. Recently, robotic technology has been introduced and could theoretically improve the laparoscopic adrenalectomy procedure and lead to improved perioperative and postoperative outcomes. A recent study by Karabulut et al. provides a comparison of intraoperative time analysis and perioperative outcomes for robotic adrenalectomy versus laparoscopic adrenalectomy. These data suggest that the use of a robotic system could improve perioperative outcomes when performing an adrenalectomy.