Laparoscopic adrenalectomy: A single center experience.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of laparoscopic adrenalectomy in benign adrenal disorders.


METHODS
Since July 2007, twenty patients have undergone laparoscopic adrenalectomy for various benign adrenal disorders at our institution. Every patient underwent contrast enhanced CT-abdomen. Serum corticosteroid levels were conducted in all, and urinary metanephrines, normetanephrines and VMA levels were performed in suspected pheochromocytoma. All the patients underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy via the transperitoneal approach.


RESULTS
The patients were in the age range of 18-57 years, eleven males and nine females, seven right, eleven left, two bilateral. The mean operative time was 150 minutes (120-180), mean hospital stay four days (3-5), mean intraoperative blood loss 150 ml and mean post-operative analgesic need was for 36 (24-72) hours. One out of twenty-two laparoscopic operations had to be converted into open adrenalectomy due to intra-operative complications.


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe, effective and useful procedure without any major post-operative complication and is the gold standard for all benign adrenal disorders.
Department of Urology, Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research (IPGMER) and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital (SSKM), Kolkata - 700 020, India.
Suresh
S
Kumar
Moley K
MK
Bera
Mukesh K
MK
Vijay
Arindam
A
Dutt
Punit
P
Tiwari
Anup K
AK
Kundu