Laparoscopic Partial Adrenalectomy: Surgical Technique and Outcome

The purpose of the study was to examine the perioperative surgical and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy (LPA) by comparing the results of laparoscopic total adrenalectomy (LTA). A total of 132 transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomies were performed for adrenal gland tumor between May 2006 and April 2019. All surgeries were performed by a single surgeon. Seventy patients underwent LTAs and 54 underwent LPAs. The data were collected retrospectively through review of the medical charts. We compared the perioperative and long-term outcomes between the 2 surgical methods. A total of 70 patients, including 4 patients with bilateral tumors, underwent LTA. In contrast, 54 patients, including 4 patients with bilateral masses, underwent LPA. There were no differences between the 2 groups with regard to mean age at presentation, mean tumor size, or postoperative stay. However, the mean operating time was significantly shorter in the LPA group than that of the LTA group. The mean estimated blood loss in the LPA group was significantly higher than that in the LTA group. However, none of the LPA patients required blood transfusion. The biochemical markers and laboratory values normalized postoperatively in all patients with functional adrenal tumors. There was no local recurrence during the follow-up period. Our data demonstrate that the surgical outcomes and perioperative complications in LPA group are similar to those of LTA. When LPA is performed for small adrenal lesions, most patients remain steroid independent, as well as recurrence-free at long-term follow-up.