Are Adrenal Lesions of 6 cm or More in Diameter a Contraindication to Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy? A Case–Control Study

Adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma: Surgical outcomes and preoperative risk factors for hemodynamic instability

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection for pheochromocytoma (PCC) is still challenging. This study assessed the perioperative outcomes of adrenalectomy for PCC and investigated the risk factors for intraoperative hemodynamic instability (HI).

METHODS

This retrospective study included 571 patients with adrenal tumors who underwent adrenalectomy at Kobe University Hospital and other related hospitals between April 2008 and October 2023. The perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic adrenalectomy were compared between PCC (n = 92) and non-PCC (n = 464) groups. In addition, we investigated several potential risk factors for intraoperative HI in patients with PCC (n = 107; open, n = 11; laparoscopic, n = 92; robot-assisted, n = 4).

RESULTS

While patients with PCC had a significantly larger amount of blood loss in comparison to those with non-PCC (mean, 70 and 30 mL, respectively; p = 0.004), no significant difference was observed in the rate of perioperative grade ≥III complications (1.1% vs. 0.6%; p = 0.516), and no perioperative mortality was observed in either group. A tumor size of ≥40 mm, with preoperative hypertension and urinary metanephrines at a level ≥3 times the upper limit of the normal value, were found to be significant predictors of HI, with odds ratios of 2.74 (p = 0.025), 3.91 (p = 0.005), and 3.83 (p = 0.004), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that laparoscopic adrenalectomy for PCC may be as safe as that for other types of adrenal tumors and that large tumors and hormonally active disease may be risk factors for intraoperative HI. The optimal perioperative management for PCC with these risk factors should be established.

Laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomy for adrenal tumours of 6 cm or greater: A single-centre experience

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) for large adrenal tumours by comparing the outcomes of tumours larger than 6 cm with those smaller than 6 cm and also to identify the risk factors associated with prolonged operative time in transperitoneal LA.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

One hundred and sixty-three patients underwent LA at our clinic from January 2014 to December 2020. Bilateral LA was performed in 20 of these 163 patients. A total of 143 patients were included in this study. Data were analysed retrospectively from the patients' medical records collected.

RESULTS

Large tumour (LT) group consists of 33 patients and the small tumour (ST) group consists of 110 patients. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups regarding conversion to open surgery and complications. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent predictors of prolonged operation time. The tumour size ≥8 cm (odds ratio [OR], 19.132; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.881-94.303; P < 0.001) and diagnosis of pheochromocytoma (OR, 2.762; 95% CI, (1.123-6.789, P = 0.026) were the significant predictors of prolonged operation time.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that LA can be considered the treatment of choice for small and large adrenal tumours. The tumour size ≥8 cm and diagnosis of pheochromocytoma are the independent risk factors for the prolonged operative time in transperitoneal LA.

Risk factors for intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and prolonged length of stay after laparoscopic adrenalectomy by transperitoneal lateral approach: a retrospective cohort study of 547 procedures

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is the gold standard for the resection of most adrenal lesions. A precise delineation of factors influencing its outcomes is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, and prolonged length of stay (LOS) after LA.

METHODS

Patients who underwent LA from 1999 to 2021 in a single-academic-institution were included. Patient and disease-specific data, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications according to Dindo-Clavien (DC) scale, and LOS were recorded. Predictive factors of complications and prolonged LOS were determined by logistic regression.

RESULTS

We identified 530 patients who underwent 547 LA. Intraoperative complications occurred in 33 patients (6.0%). Postoperative complications ≥  DC grade 2 occurred in 73 patients (13.35%); severe postoperative complications ≥ DC grade 3 in 14 patients (2.56%). Postoperative complications were positively associated with age ≥ 72 (OR 1.14 [95% CI 1.02-1.29]), intraoperative complications (OR 1.36 [95% CI 1.14-1.63]), and negatively associated with non functional adenomas (OR 0.88 [95% CI 0.7-0.99]), and right adrenalectomy (OR 0.91 [95% CI 0.86-0.97]). Severe postoperative complications were positively associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, OR 1.08 [95% CI 1.00-1.17]), and negatively associated with right adrenalectomy (OR 0.97 [95% CI 0.92-0.99]). Prolonged LOS was associated with age ≥ 72 (OR 1.21 [95% CI 1.05-1.41]), and COPD (OR 1.20 [95% CI 1.01-1.44]).

CONCLUSIONS

LA remains safe when performed by surgeons with expertise. Right adrenalectomy resulted in less postoperative overall and severe complications. The risk-benefit equation should be carefully assessed before left LA in older patients with COPD.

Is transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma really more challenging? A propensity score-matched analysis

PURPOSE

Minimally invasive surgery is the gold standard treatment for adrenal masses, but it may be a challenging procedure in the case of pheochromocytoma (PHEO). The aim of the present study is to report the results of transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (TLA) in cases of PHEO in comparison to other types of adrenal lesions.

METHODS

From 1994 to 2021, 629 patients underwent adrenalectomy. Twenty-two and thirty-five patients, respectively, were excluded because they underwent bilateral and open adrenalectomy, leaving 572 patients for inclusion. Of these, 114 patients had PHEO (Group A), and 458 had other types of lesions (Group B). To adjust for potential baseline confounders, a propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

After PSM, 114 matched pairs of patients were identified from each group. Statistically significant differences were not observed when comparing the median operative time (85 and 90 min in Groups A and B, respectively, p = 0.627), conversion rate [6 (5.3%) in each group, p = 1.000], transfusion rate [4 (3.5%) and 3 (2.6%) in Groups A and B, respectively, p = 1.000], complication rate [7 (6.1%) and 9 (7.9%) in Groups A and B, respectively, p = 0.796), median postoperative hospital stay (3.9 and 3.6 days in Groups A and B, respectively, p = 0.110), and mortality rate [1 (0.9%) in each group, p = 1.000].

CONCLUSIONS

Based on this analysis, the results of TLA for PHEO are equivalent to those of TLA for other types of adrenal lesions, but the fundamental requirements are multidisciplinary patient management and adequate surgeon experience. Further prospective studies are required to draw definitive conclusions.

Outcomes after Surgical Treatment of Metastatic Disease in the Adrenal Gland; Valuable for the Patient?

Simple Summary

Adrenal glands are common dissemination sites for metastases of various solid tumors. The rapid development of new treatment strategies, such as targeted therapy and immunotherapy for different cancer types, has led to increased metastatic adrenalectomies. Therefore, clear communication between oncologists and adrenal gland specialists has become increasingly important to outweigh surgical risks versus oncological advantages of adrenalectomies in these patients. This study assesses trends in diagnosis, type of surgery, and short-term and long-term surgical outcomes of patients who underwent metastatic adrenalectomy. We included a total of 95 patients with an adrenal metastasis of non-adrenal primary tumors, most often colorectal or lung cancer, who underwent (minimal invasive) adrenalectomy. 37.9% of the patients experienced one or more complications after adrenalectomy. Within our patient cohort, an increased demand for metastatic adrenalectomy was observed over the past years, which might be associated with the rise of targeted- and immunotherapy. Our data aims to assist multidisciplinary teams with weighing the pros and cons of resection of the metastasized adrenal gland of cancer patients.

Abstract

The adrenal glands are common dissemination sites for metastasis of various solid tumors. Surgical treatment is often recommended because targeted therapies and immunotherapy are frequently ineffective for adrenal metastasis. We report the experience with short-term and long-term surgical outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for adrenal metastasis in two hospitals. A retrospective, multicenter study was performed to analyze patient characteristics, tumor-related data, perioperative outcomes, and oncological outcomes. Postoperative complications that occurred within 30 days were scored according to the Clavien Dindo classification. Metastatic adrenalectomy was performed in 95 patients. We observed an increase from an average of 3 metastatic adrenalectomies per year between 2001–2005 to 10 between 2015–2019. The most frequent underlying malignancies were colorectal and lung cancer. In 55.8%, minimal invasive adrenalectomy was performed, including six conversions to open surgery. A total of 37.9% of patients had postoperative complications, of which ileus or gastroparesis, wound problems, pneumonia, and heart arrhythmias were the most occurring complications. Improved cancer care has led to an increased demand for metastatic adrenalectomy over the past years. Complication rates of 37.9% are significant and cannot be neglected. Therefore, multidisciplinary teams should weigh the decision to perform metastatic adrenalectomy for each patient individually, taking into account the drawbacks of the described morbidity versus the potential benefits.

Cancer risk in adrenalectomy: are adrenal lesions equal or more than 4 cm a contraindication for laparoscopy?

Background

Some authors consider adrenal lesions size of less than 4 cm as a positive cut-off limit to set the indications for minimally invasive surgery due to a lower risk of malignancy. Aim of this study is to report the risk of cancer for adrenal lesions measuring 4 cm or more in diameter, assessed as benign at preoperative workup (primary outcome), and to evaluate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) in these cases (secondary outcome).

Methods

From January 1994 to February 2019, 579 patients underwent adrenalectomy. Fifty patients with a preoperative diagnosis of primary adrenal cancer or metastases were excluded. The remaining 529 patients were included and divided in five subgroups based on adrenal lesion size at definitive histology: group A, 4–5.9 cm (137 patients); group B, 6–7.9 cm (64 patients); group C, 8–9.9 cm (13 patients); group D, ≥ 10 cm (11 patients); group E, < 4 cm (304 patients). Each group was further divided based on diagnosis of benign or malignant lesions at definitive histology.

Results

Four (2.9%) malignant lesions were observed in group A, 5 (7.8%) in group B, 2 (15.4%) in Groups C and D (18.2%) and 13 (4.3%) in Group E. Comparing the cancer risk among the groups, no statistically significant differences were observed. Operative time increased with increasing lesion size. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between benign and malignant lesions in each group comparing operative time, conversion and complication rates, postoperative hospital stay and mortality rate.

Conclusions

Adrenal lesions measuring 4 cm or more in diameter are not a contraindication for LA neither in terms of cancer risk nor of conversion and morbidity rates, even if the operative time increases with increasing adrenal lesion diameter. Further prospective studies with a larger number of patients are required to draw definitive conclusions.

Factors associated with prolonged hospital stay after laparoscopic adrenalectomy

Laparoscopy is the standard technique for resecting adrenal tumors, but short-term outcomes such as length of stay (LOS) vary widely between centers. We aimed to identify factors associated with LOS after lateral transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LTLA). We analyzed consecutive patients undergoing unilateral LTLA between April 2003 and April 2020. Prolonged LOS was defined as a stay longer than the 75th percentile of the overall cohort. To identify potential factors associated with prolonged LOS, we compared collected data from patients with LOS ≤ 2 days versus LOS > 2 days and elaborated multivariate logistic regression models. We included 150 patients (73 men and 77 women, median age 54 years), with benign (n = 128) and malignant tumors (n = 22). The median LOS after LTLA was 2 days; 64 (42.7%) patients had prolonged hospitalization. Variables significantly associated with prolonged LOS in the univariate analysis included ASA III + IV (p = 0.016), pheochromocytoma (p < 0.001), learning curve (p = 0.032), surgery on Thursday or Friday (p < 0.001), 2D laparoscopy (p = 0.003), operative time (p < 0.001), estimated blood loss (p < 0.001), drainage (p < 0.001), specimen size (p = 0.011), conversions (p = 0.002), complications (p = 0.019), and hospital stay (p < 0.001). After adjustment for patient, surgical, and tumor characteristics, risk factors associated with prolonged LOS in the multivariate analysis were specimen size > 9 cm (OR:13.03, p = 0.005), surgery on Thursday or Friday (OR:6.92, p = 0.001), estimated blood loss ≥ 60 ml (OR:6.22, p = 0.021), and drainage (OR:5.29, p = 0.005). Prolonged length of stay after LTLA was associated with specimen size > 9 cm, operating on Thursday or Friday, estimated blood loss ≥ 60 mL, and drainage.

Comparison between retroperitoneal and transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy: Are both equally safe?

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Compare the rates of major intra- and postoperative complications, surgical conversion and mortality between transperitoneal versus retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a series of 344 consecutive unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomies, performed from January 1997 to December 2017, we evaluated the rates of major intra- and postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo≥III) and surgical conversion of the two approaches.

RESULTS

The retroperitoneal laparoscopic route was used in 259 patients (67.3%) and the transperitoneal laparoscopic route in 85 patients (22.1%). A total of 12 (3.5%) major postoperative complications occurred, with no statistically significant difference between the two approaches (P=0.7). In univariate analysis, the only predictor of major postoperative complication was Cushing's syndrome (P=0.03). The surgical conversion rate was higher in the transperitoneal route group (10/85 (11.8%) compared to 6/259 (2.3%), P=0.0003) in the retroperitoneal route group. One death occurred in each group. Independent predictors of surgical conversion in multivariate analysis included the transperitoneal laparoscopic approach (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3-1.9, P=0.02), advanced age (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, P=0.04) and large tumor size (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.7, P=0.01).

CONCLUSION

Both transperitoneal and retroperitoneal approaches for laparoscopic adrenalectomy are safe, with an equivalent rate of major complications and mortality. The surgical conversion rate was higher for the transperitoneal route. The retroperitoneal approach should be reserved for small adrenal lesions.

Is 6 cm Diameter an Upper Limit for Adrenal Tumors to Perform Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy?

Background: We aimed to compare the results of patients who underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) for masses ≥6 cm versus <6 cm in diameter in our tertiary referral university hospital. Materials and Methods: Three hundred thirty consecutive patients were divided into two groups according to tumor size (≥6 and <6 cm in diameter). Demographic variables, body mass index (BMI), lesion localization (right/left), tumor diameter, pathological diagnosis and surgical outcomes, including operation time, estimated blood loss (EBL), conversion to open surgery, complications, and length of hospital stay were compared between groups. Results: Between February 2008 and March 2020, 53 patients (29 male-24 female) with ≥6 cm (L group) adrenal tumor and 277 patients (105 male-172 female) with <6 cm tumor (S group) underwent transperitoneal LA. One hundred sixty-eight (50.9%) tumors localized on the left side. In L group mean tumor size in female and male patients was 87.5 ± 40.8 mm (range 50-225 mm) and 67.3 ± 18.4 mm (range 10-100 mm), respectively (P < .05). Age, American Society of Anesthesiology scores, BMI, and mean operation time were similar between groups (P > .05). Postoperative complications were more often in L group (P = .005). EBL in group L and group S was 86 ± 70.4 mL (range 10-500 mL) and 55 ± 44.2 mL (range 10-300 mL), respectively (P = .003). Length of hospital stay in group L and group S was 3.7 ± 3.5 days (range 1-26) and 3 ± 1.6 days (range 1-9), respectively (P = .086). Significant variables in multivariate analysis, including gender (male), EBL, and postoperative complication rate, were entered into multivariate regression analysis, which presented that EBL and postoperative complication rates were independent significants for the L group. Conclusion: Six centimeters should not be considered as an upper limit of transperitoneal lateral LA and may be safely performed in centers with experience. Further studies are needed to confirm our data.