title: Laparoscopic adrenal surgery: ten-year experience in a single institution.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimal invasive adrenalectomy has become the procedure of choice to treat adrenal tumors with a benign appearance, ≤ 6 cm in diameter and weighing < 100 g. Authors evaluated medium- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA), performed for ten years in a single endocrine surgery unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 88 consecutive patients undergone LA for lesions of adrenal glands from 2003 to 2013. The first 30 operations were considered part of the learning curve. Doxazosin was preoperatively administered in case of pheochromocytoma (PCC), while spironolactone and potassium were employed to treat Conn's disease. Perioperative cardiovascular status modifications and surgical and medium- and long-term results were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty nine (55.68%) functioning tumors, and one (1.13%) bilateral adrenal disease were identified. In 2 patients (2.27%) a supposed adrenal metastasis was postoperatively confirmed, while in no patients a diagnosis of incidental primitive malignancy was performed. There was no mortality or major post operative complication. The mean operative time was higher during the learning curve. Conversion and morbidity rates were respectively 1.13% and 5.7%. Intraoperative hypertensive crises (≥180/90 mmHg) were observed in 23.5% (4/17) of PCC patients and were treated pharmacologically with no aftermath. There was no influence of age, size and operative time on the occurrence of PCC intraoperative hypertensive episodes. Surgery determined a normalization of the endocrine profile. One single PCC persistence was observed, while in a Conn's patient, just undergone right LA, a left sparing adrenalectomy was performed for a contralateral metachronous aldosteronoma.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LA, a safe, effective and well tolerated procedure for the treatment of adrenal neoplasms ≤ 6 cm, is feasible for larger lesions, with a similar low morbidity rate. Operative time has improved along with the increase of the experience and of the technological development. Preoperative adrenergic blockade did not prevent PCC intraoperative hypertensive crises, but facilitated the control of the hemodynamic stability.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Conzo
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pasquali
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Della Pietra
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Napolitano
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iorio
authors.forename: Annamaria
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Bellis
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Docimo
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinisi
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D000315:Adrenalectomy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult