Background: This study aimed to describe the initial clinical experience of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES)-assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy (TNLA) and to evaluate its feasibility and efficacy.
Methods: Between May and December 2010, 11 consecutive women were subjected to TNLA for adrenal tumors at the authors' center. With the patient under general anesthesia, a 5-mm trocar and a 10-mm trocar were inserted in the umbilical edge for conventional operating apparatus, and a 10-mm trocar was inserted in the posterior vaginal fornix for a conventional 30º laparoscope. Dissection was performed according to the method of a standard laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The adrenal gland, its tumor, or both were put into a homemade bag and then removed via the incision of the posterior vaginal fornix after complete resection.
Results: A total of 11 TNLAs were performed in this series. Only one conversion to open surgery was performed for one patient with Cushing disease, who was subjected to a splenectomy synchronously for an injury of the spleen. Except for this patient, no patients required a blood transfusion. The median operative time was 102 min (range 80-310 min), and the median estimated blood loss was 80 ml (range 30-800 ml). The median size of the mass in terms of the largest diameter was 4.7 cm (range 2.2-6.6 cm). There was no difference between pre- and postoperative median Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) total scores (P = 0.102). All the patients except the one who had conversion to open surgery were very satisfied with the cosmetic result.
Conclusions: The findings show TNLA to be a feasible and effective surgical technique that results in excellent cosmesis. It may be an alternative technique for the treatment of properly selected female patients with adrenal tumor.