title: 25 years experience of the surgical treatment of phaeochromocytoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the outcome of the surgical treatment of patients who had adrenalectomy for phaeochromocytoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  87 consecutive patients with phaeochromocytoma who were operated on.
  
  
  METHODS
  29 flank and 58 transabdominal adrenalectomies between 1974 and 2000.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean tumour diameter was 5 cm (range 2-13), and the mean weight 91 g (range 7-550). The postoperative hospital stay was 11 days. The flank incision entailed the shortest operating time (95 minutes). Two of the phaeochromocytomas were malignant. There were two wound infections but no deaths. With a correct selection of patients, a flank incision is safe. Endoscopic retroperitoneal adrenalectomies should be preferred.
authors.affiliation: Abt. Viszeral- und Thoraxchirurgie, Detmold, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Niemann
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hiller
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Behrend
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome