title: Transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Our experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is considered the standard technique for the surgical removal of the adrenal gland. This report is about a 4-year single experience in our Endocrine and General Surgery Unit with laparoscopic adrenalectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 24 lateral transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomies were performed. The indications for laparoscopic surgery were: aldosteronoma in 3 patients, pheochromocytoma in 6 patients, nonfunctioning adenoma in 6 patients, adenoma causing Cushing's syndrome in 3 patients, 1 lymphangioma-like adenomatoid tumor, 1 myelolipoma, 1 complicated adrenal cyst, 2 adrenocortical carcinomas, 1 lung metastasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All except two had successful laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Complication occurred in one patient. 3 patients underwent other associated laparoscopic procedures. Operative time ranged from 100 to 240 minutes for laparoscopic adrenalectomy, from 180 to 210 minutes in the cases with two associated laparoscopic procedures, 5 hours for bilateral adrenalectomy; the postoperative hospital stay for laparoscopic adrenalectomy ranged from 4 to 8 days (6,79 days) and from 7 to 13 days (9,12 days) for patients undergoing the open or converted procedure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is technically feasible and reproducible. We evaluate the effectiveness of laparoscopic adrenalectomy for a variety of endocrine disorders except in the case of invasive carcinoma or large masses. Antonio Cardarelli Endocrine and General Surgery Unit in Naples is known as a specialized center for thyroid and parathyroid surgery; in future, we could also become a high-volume laparoscopic referral center for adrenal gland pathologies.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonino
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosato
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zenone
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ranieri
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maglio
authors.forename: Gennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lupone
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gragnano
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sangiuliano
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Docimo
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Palma
mesh_terms: D000307:Adrenal Gland Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010537:Peritoneum; D012189:Retrospective Studies