Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic Partial Adrenalectomy: Clinical Experience in 47 Procedures

Objectives: We evaluated posterior retroperitoneoscopic partial adrenalectomy with regard to operative complications, operation time, intraoperative blood loss. Patients and Methods: Between January 1997 and April 2002, we performed 47 posterior retroperitoneoscopic partial adrenalectomies. There were 18 males and 29 females with a mean age of 48 years (range 28–82 years). The average adrenal tumor size was 26 mm (range 10–50 mm). All procedures required three trocars. Results: There was no mortality and conversion rate to open surgery was 2.1%. Average operative time and average blood loss was 198.0 ml (range 71–420 ml) and 40.8 ml (range 0–1100 ml), respectively. There was a significant correlation of operative time with the number of procedures performed. However, no significant correlation was observed between intraoperative blood loss and the number of procedures. Tumor size did not correlate with intraoperative blood loss and operative time. No significant correlation was found between body mass index and operative time. The operative time in the initial 20 cases was significantly longer than that in the subsequent 26 cases. Conclusion: Posterior retroperitoneoscopic partial adrenalectomy is a safe and less invasive method for treatment of adrenal tumors. With improved operative technique, the time required for this procedure has been decreased.