Laparoscopic vs. open adrenalectomy: Experience at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh

Background: The laparoscopic approach for adrenalectomy is now widely accepted and preferred over the conventional open approach. We describe our experience of adrenalectomy and compare the results of open and laparoscopic approach, Patients and Methods: From March 1999 to March 2002, we performed 23 adrenalectomies. An anterior transabdominal approach was used for the open procedure, and a lateral transperitoneal approach for the laparoscopic procedure. Data from both groups were analyzed and compared. Results: There was no difference in tumor size or pathology between the two groups. The tumor size was smaller. operative time was longer and estimated blood loss was less in the laparoscopic procedure group, however these differences were statistically insignificant. The mean length of hospital stay was shorter (5.1 vs. 9.2 days, P< 0.01), the mean use of postoperative narcotic analgesia was less (4.2 vs. 8.1 injections, P< 0.05), and the mean time for resumption of oral intake was faster (1.17 vs. 2 days, P< 0.01) in the laparoscopic procedure group compared to the open adrenalectomy group. Conclusion: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a safe procedure that can be performed for most adrenal pathology. It is associated with faster recovery, less postoperative pain, and shorter hospital stay.