title: [Adrenal surgery in Spain: final results of a national survey].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The indications for adrenalectomy could be changing by the availability of laparoscopy and the growing detection of incidentalomas. The Endocrine Surgery Section of the Spanish Association of Surgeons conducted a survey to analyse the current indications for adrenalectomy and their results in Spanish surgical departments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was gathered as regards the type of hospital and department, volume of procedures, localisation studies and pre-surgical preparations, indications, surgical approach, and results in terms of morbidity and hospital stay. The results of the centres were compared as regards their volume of activity using the Mann-Whitney Test for the quantitative variables and chi squared for the qualitative ones.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-six centres completed the questionnaire and 301 adrenalectomies were reported to be performed in 2008. Most frequent indications were pheochromocytoma (25.2%), non-functioning adenoma (16.2%), aldosteronoma (15.9%), Cushing adenoma (11.2%), metastasis (10.3%), myelolipoma (5.6%), and carcinoma (4.9%). Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed in 83.7% of cases (6.7% required conversion to laparotomy). The mean hospital stay was 3.9 days for laparoscopic adrenalectomy and 7.4 days for laparotomy. High-volume units (more than 10 per year) used more frequently the laparoscopic approach (P=.019), and had a shorter overall hospital stay (P<.0001). Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was also associated with a shorter hospital stay (P<.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopy for adrenalectomy has become the standard practice in Spain, with good results in terms of morbidity and hospital stay. High volume centres have better results as regards the use of minimally invasive surgery and hospital stay.
authors: Servicio de Cirugía General, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, Granada, Spain. jevillarmo@yahoo.es
authors: Jesús María
authors: JM
authors: Villar del Moral
authors: José Manuel
authors: JM
authors: Rodríguez González
authors: Pablo
authors: P
authors: Moreno Llorente
authors: Juan Manuel
authors: JM
authors: Martos Martínez
authors: Aitor
authors: A
authors: de la Quintana Barrasate
authors: Amaia
authors: A
authors: Expósito Rodríguez
authors: Lucía
authors: L
authors: Martínez Lesquereux
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Durán Poveda
mesh_terms: D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires