Comparison of clinical outcomes of laparoscopic and conventional open adrenalectomy

From September 1992 to November 1996, 28 patients underwent laparoscopic ad renalectomy at Osaka University Medical Hospital. They were compared with 2 5 instances of conventional open surgery performed between May 1990 and Apr il 1996 at the same institution. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed v ia either a transperitoneal or a retroperitoneal approach. The mean operati ve time of 375 minutes for laparoscopic adrenalectomy was significantly lon ger than that of 133 minutes for open surgery. The average hospital stay fo r laparoscopic surgery was significantly shorter than that of conventional open adrenalectomy. The convalescent period was also significantly shorter in the pateints who had laparoscopic adrenalectomy. There was no statistica l difference in blood loss during the operation or the number of doses of a nalgesics administered after operation in the two groups. We conclude that laparoscopic adrenalectomy is one of the options to be selected in surgical ly managing adrenal tumors. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy could become a stand ard operative procedure as instruments and techniques of laparoscopy improv e significantly.