title: Efficacy and safety of laparoscopic surgery for pheochromocytoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laparoscopic surgery for primary aldosteronoma and Cushing's syndrome is well established. We report on our experiences with laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma, and assess the efficacy and safety of the laparoscopic approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between April 1998 and April 2003, a total of 23 patients underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma at Chiba University Hospital and Yokohama Rosai Hospital, Japan. We compared the surgical outcomes of these patients with those of 106 patients with adrenal tumors due to other pathologies who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy during the same period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean tumor size of pheochromocytoma was 4.96 cm. Mean operative time was 192.7 min, and mean estimated blood loss was 130 mL. Neither mean operative time nor mean estimated blood loss was greater for patients with pheochromocytoma. Intraoperative hypertension (systolic blood pressure > 180 mmHg) occurred in 39.1% (9/23) of patients with pheochromocytoma. During the follow-up period, there were no mortalities or recurrences of endocrinopathy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma is a safe and minimally invasive procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. yu7ki@aol.com
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Naya
authors.forename: Tomohiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Hiroyoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Komiya
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009638:Norepinephrine