Robot Assisted Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy: Does Size Matter?

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Robotic Surgery

Background:

• Open adrenalectomy (OA) is standard for large adrenal tumors.
• Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) via laparoscopy is increasingly used.
• Robot-assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy (RALA) offers potential advantages over traditional laparoscopy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of adrenal tumor size and laterality on perioperative and postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing RALA.
• To compare outcomes across different tumor size subgroups (<5 cm vs. ≥5 cm; <8 cm vs. ≥8 cm) and sides (right vs. left).

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 38 patients who underwent RALA at a tertiary care center.
• Patients were grouped based on tumor size (<5 cm, ≥5 cm, <8 cm, ≥8 cm) and laterality (right vs. left).
• Perioperative and postoperative outcomes were analyzed for each subgroup.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in outcomes were observed between patient groups.
• No conversions to open surgery, readmissions, or mortality were noted.
• No major complications were reported across all subgroups.

Conclusions:

• RALA is a viable alternative to traditional laparoscopic adrenalectomy.
• Outcomes of RALA are not significantly affected by adrenal tumor size or laterality.
• RALA demonstrates minimal operative time, blood loss, complication rates, and hospital stay.