title: [Laparoscopic adrenalectomy].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the last few years, laparoscopic adrenalectomy has become widely used in the management of adrenal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed our experience of 24 patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy between 1998 and 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgery was indicated for Cushing's syndrome in 46% of the patients, aldosteronoma in 25%, incidentaloma in 21% and pheochromocytoma in 8%. A lateral transabdominal approach was employed in all patients. The mean age of the patients was 50.4 years (17 women and 7 men). Left unilateral adrenalectomy was performed in 63% of the patients, right unilateral adrenalectomy in 29% and bilateral adrenalectomy in 8%. The conversion rate was 4%. The mean operating time was 134 minutes in unilateral approaches and 245 minutes in bilateral approaches. The mean size of the gland was 4 cm. The complications rate was 4% and there was no mortality. Disease control was achieved in 96% of the patients after a mean follow-up of 49 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic adrenalectomy should be considered the procedure of choice for the surgical management of benign adrenal disease.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cirugía General y del Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España. jrtovar@wanadoo.es
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Tovar
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pérez de Oteyza
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alonso Hernández
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díez Tabernilla
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rojo Blanco
authors.forename: María Vicenta
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Collado Guirao
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García Villanueva
mesh_terms: D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006929:Hyperaldosteronism / Q000601:surgery; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000601:surgery; D047748:Pituitary ACTH Hypersecretion / Q000601:surgery