An update of posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy - Case series

Time to Flip the Approach: Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy

INTRODUCTION

Retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (RPA) has gained increasing popularity with its excellent perioperative outcomes and direct surgical access compared to other adrenalectomy approaches. We review perioperative outcomes of RPA by a specialized endocrine surgeon before and after expert intensive trainings (EITs), and to that of other laparoscopic adrenalectomy approaches at our center over a 9-year period, aiming to ascertain if RPA is worth the steep learning curve.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

One hundred twenty one adrenalectomies were performed between January 2014 to June 2022. Patient demographic, tumor characteristics, and perioperative outcomes were retrospectively reviewed. The primary endpoints included procedure duration, complications, and length of stay. Part I of the study examined the effect of EITs on RPA's learning curve, and part II compared these outcomes with that of the alternative approach, transabdominal lateral adrenalectomy (TLA).

RESULTS

Both procedure duration and days in hospital markedly decreased after the two EITs for RPA. RPA resulted in a shorter procedure duration and hospital stay compared to TLA, and had lesser and milder intraoperative and postoperative complications compared to TLA.

CONCLUSIONS

RPA results in safe and excellent outcomes, and offers additional benefit of direct surgical access, feasibility in patients with previous abdominal surgery, high body mass index, and multiple comorbidities. The steep learning curve can be overcome and shortened by EITs, motivating centers with specialized endocrine surgery to integrate RPA training into its curriculum, given its foreseeable rewarding outcomes.

Laparoscopic excision of a large adrenal pseudocyst: diagnostic dilemma and technical challenges

A woman in her 40s attended the hospital with worsening left upper abdominal dull aching pain for the past 6 months. Clinical examination and radiological investigations with ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen confirmed it to be a cystic lesion of the left adrenal of size 13 cm × 12 cm × 11 cm. With the possibility of an incidental malignancy due to large size, laparoscopic cyst excision meticulously without spillage of cyst content was possible due to preoperative planning. It was a difficult task to mobilise the cyst intact due to the thin wall to prevent accidental rupture and gross spillage of the cyst contents. The cyst wall sent for histopathological examination confirmed it to be an adrenal pseudocyst without any malignant focus. Adrenal pseudocysts are rare and mostly benign. However, the index of suspecting a malignancy should be high in large cysts, and meticulous dissection is warranted.

The Management of Primary Hyperaldosteronism in a Poor Technology Environment

We report a case of Conn's adenoma in a 35-year-old female successfully managed in a poor hospital technology environment.