Lateral transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy: A single-centre experience of 21 procedures

Background Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is the gold standard technique for well-selected patients with an adrenal mass. The surgical team’s experience is an essential factor in the surgical outcome. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of patients who underwent lateral transperitoneal LA to remove their adrenal mass. Methods In this case-series study, 20 consecutive patients with adrenal mass were enrolled in Sulaimani Teaching Hospital, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, from March 2019 to March 2022. Patients underwent lateral transperitoneal LA under general anaesthesia. Then, the type of LA, operation time, mass size, hospital stay, histopathological finding, and postoperative complications were assessed. Results Most patients were females (65%), underwent left-sided LA (55%), had a nonfunctioning mass (55%), and had no postoperative complications (85%). The mean operation time was 95 ± 2.0 min, and the mean hospital stay was 3.2 ± 1.5 days. Most patients were detected incidentally through radiology (55%), while others were detected after biochemical tests were done, including cases of pheochromocytoma (25%), hypercortisolism (10%), and hyperaldosteronism (10%). Most patients had benign cortical adenoma (45%), followed by benign medullary pheochromocytoma (25%), myelolipoma (15%), oncocytoma, adrenal hyperplasia, and ganglioneuroma (5.0% each). Conclusions LA seems to be a safe and feasible option for selected cases in this locality.