Laparoscopic Versus Open Adrenalectomy: a Retrospective Comparative Study

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy (LA) has rapidly become the gold standard in management of adrenal tumors as it has been found to be associated with better cosmoses, shorter hospital stay and rapid convalescence. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare laparoscopic and open approach to adrenal glands in terms of operative time, hospital stay, indications and blood loss at a tertiary medical center in Jordan. METHODS: A retrospective comparative study which included all patients who underwent adrenalectomy (open or laparoscopic) from 2005 to 2015 at King Hussein Medical Center (KHMC). Patients’ demographics ,outcomes and essential study variables were extracted from patients’ files. Data analysis was performed using SPSS17 and Stata 10. RESULTS: One hundred and three patients (mean age 44.9 years) were included, 90.2% of them underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy. The size of the tumors ranged from 2 to 17 cm (mean 6.6 cm).The operative time, blood loss and hospital stay were significantly less in the laparoscopic group (P value <0.001). Patients in Open group had a significantly higher risk of incomplete excision of the tumors (P value=0.020). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is associated with decreased operative time, blood loss and hospital stay compared to open approach. Tumor size and its malignant potential should be no more regarded as an absolute contraindication to laparoscopic adrenal surgery.