LAPAROSCOPIC ADRENALECTOMY - CLINICAL-RESULTS IN 25 PATIENTS

Adrenal tumors would be eminently suitable for laparoscopic surgery be cause of their size and location. We have performed 25 cases of laparo scopic adrenalectomy, and the purpose of this study was to evaluate th e clinical results. Since November 1992, 12 men and 13 women with a me an age of 47.3 (range 29-71) years underwent laparoscopic adrenalectom y. Fifteen lesions were on the left side, and ten lesions were on the right side. The clinical diagnosis was primary aldosteronism in eight patients, Cushing's syndrome in seven, and a nonfunctioning adrenal tu mor in ten. The mean operating time was 254 +/- 72 minutes (range 155- 412 minutes), but the time on the last 10 cases was 216 +/- 40 minutes , which was equal to the mean operating time of the 15 open adrenalect omy cases (190 +/- 66 minutes). There was no difference in the operati ng time by clinical diagnosis. The time to first oral intake after the operation was shorter in the laparoscopic group, the need for analges ics was less, and the hospital stay and the time until return to preop erative activity were shorter than after open surgery. The laparoscopi c cases had no significant complications, and every operation was perf ormed completely. Although there was the learning curve for the perfor mance of laparoscopic adrenalectomy, its operating time was equal to t hat of open surgery, and the postoperative recovery was significantly faster. Therefore, laparoscopic adrenalectomy would be useful compared with open surgery on the basis of invasiveness and cost.