Aim: Personal experience in laparoscopic adrenalectomies (LA) for secreting and non-secreting tumors is presented.
Methods: Between March 1995 and December 2001 a total of 111 LA (58 left, 49 right and 4 bilateral) were performed in 60 females and 51 males, mean age 47.5 (range 8-81) years, for: 38 Conn diseases, 24 incidentalomas, 15 pheochromocytomas, 13 Cushing diseases, 4 kysts, 3 angiomyolipomas, 1 adreno-genital syndrome, 1 hydatidosis, 1 hyperplasia, 1 ganglioneuroma, 1 oncocyte adenoma, 1 adrenal fibrous tumor, 4 cortical carcinomas and 4 metastases (from renal carcinoma, breast carcinoma, leiomyosarcoma and rabdoid sarcoma, respectively). In all cases LA was transabdominal with a lateral flank approach.
Results: Mean global operative time was 88.6 minutes (range 35-240). Conversion rate was 1.8% (2/111). There was low postoperative pain. Mean hospital stay was 4.3 days (range 2-13). There were 0.9% (1/111) 30-day mortality and 4.5% (5/111) morbidity. During a mean follow-up of 41 months (range 1-81), the 67 secreting patients were disease-free. Concerning 8 malignant cases, mean follow-up was 40.5 months (range 9-72) with 3 cortical carcinomas disease-free and 1 dead for stroke, 2 metastases (1 leiomyosarcoma and 1 breast carcinoma) dead for disease and 2 disease-free. There was no port-site metastases.
Conclusions: LA seems safe and effective when performed in experienced Centers on endocrine surgery and laparoscopy.