Outcomes following laparoscopic adrenalectomy: Experience of more than two decades at a tertiary care centre

Laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomy was first described by Gagner M et al . Here, we present our experience of more than two decades of laparoscopic adrenalectomy performed in a single surgical unit at a tertiary care centre.

A prospectively collected database of patients undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy from December 1994 to May 2020 was analysed retrospectively. The demographic profile, details of clinical workup and laboratory parameters were recorded in a pre-structured pro forma. Functional workup and anatomical imaging were performed for all the patients. Patients were taken up for surgery after adequate pre-operative optimisation using a multidisciplinary approach. All the patients were operated by a single surgical team of experienced laparoscopic surgeons.

A total of 158 patients underwent laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomy. The majority patients were females (64.5%). The median tumour size was 5 cm (range, 1-18 cm). The diagnosis in the majority of the patients was pheochromocytoma (56.3%). The mean operative time was 80 min (range: 45-210 min). The most common complication was bleeding in 6 (3.7%) patients, which required laparotomy. The median duration of post-operative hospital stay was 3 days (range: 1-13). There was no 30-day mortality. The mean follow-up period was 15 months (range: 6-72 months), during which two patients developed local recurrence.

The advantages of laparoscopic surgery are well established and have been extensively explored for the management of adrenal lesions. A multidisciplinary approach to management, consisting of endocrinologists, surgeons and anaesthesiologists is preferred. Pre-operative evaluation, optimisation and accurate selection of patients are crucial for successful laparoscopic adrenalectomy.