Outcome of Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy for Pheochromocytomas vs Aldosteronomas

HYPOTHESIS Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is most commonly performed for pheochromocytomas (PHEs) and aldosteronomas (ALDs). We hypothesize that LA for these differing tumor types is associated with different operative courses and outcomes. DESIGN Retrospective study of a 10-year experience with LA. SETTING University teaching hospital. PATIENTS Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed on 149 patients. During data analysis, the initial 35 LAs performed for various adrenal lesions were excluded to account for the learning curve. Twenty-six of 30 PHEs and 34 of 45 ALDs were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Analysis of variance was used to compare operative time, tumor size, estimated blood loss, and postoperative length of hospital stay between the PHE and ALD groups and subsets of these groups. χ2 Analysis was used to compare tumor location, transfusion requirements, conversion to open procedures, and incidence of major complications. RESULTS Right-sided lesions occurred in 19 of 26 PHEs, and left-sided lesions occurred in 28 of 34 ALDs (P