Initial experience of laparoscopic resection of adrenal tumours

Objective: To report our initial experience with laparoscopic resection of adrenal masses. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Teaching hospital, France. Subjects: Five consecutive patients who required adrenalectomy between May 1993 and January 1994. Intervention: Adrenalectomy through four trocars with the patient semisupine and in a slight reverse Trendelenburg position. Main outcome measures: Morbidity and mortality. Results: Three left and two right adrenal glands were removed in a median time of 190 minutes. The patients were all women, median age 65 years (range 57 to 71). The aetiology included non-functioning adenomas (n = 2), primary aldosteronism, Cushing's adenoma, and a metastasis from a cancer of the bladder. The median tumour size was 5.5 cm (range 3 to 9). In one patient the procedure was converted to an open operation because exposure of the gland was inadequate. The median postoperative stay was 6 days (range 4-12). Conclusions: Our initial experience supports that from other centres in that we found that the laparoscopic approach is suitable for resection of adrenal masses.