One hundred and ten consecutive uncomplicated retroperitoneal videoscopic adrenalectomies – Polish multicentre study

Aim: The authors evaluate the effectiveness of videoscopic adrenalectomy (VA) for a variety of endocrine disorders. Methods: One hundred and ten consecutive videoscopic adrenalectomies performed from October 1995 till December 2000 were reviewed and followed up for adequacy of surgical treatment in 2 surgical departments. There were 79 females and 31 males included in the study. The mean age was 48.0 years (range 23–71 years). Indications for the operations were: phaeochromocytomas (n=5), aldosterone-producing adenomas (n=19), cortisol-producing adenomas (n=10), Cushing's disease (n=3) and non-secreting tumours (n=72). Results: There was no mortality and no morbidity both intraoperatively and in the postoperative course. In 8 cases conversion to open surgery was instituted – in 4 cases due to an unintended lesion of pertioneum without damage to the intraperitoneal organs. Mean operative time was 156min (range 52–280min), and estimated blood loss was 73ml (range 20–300ml). The average length of hospital stay was 2.9 days (range 2–7 days). None of the patients revealed either recurrence of hormonal hypersecretion or tumour mass in imaging studies during the follow-up period (range 1–34 months). Conclusion: 1. VA is recommended in patients with hormonally active tumours and in patients with benign adrenal masses of a diameter up to 6cm. 2. VA is a safe and feasible procedure if performed by a team experienced in endocrine and endoscopic surgery. 3. VA is a procedure better than open adrenalectomy in management of small, non-malignant tumours because of the reduction of operative trauma.