Robot- assisted laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy
Abstract
Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial adrenalectomy (RALPA) has recently been advocated to preserve unaffected adrenal tissue.
We report two cases of RALPA , a unilateral aldosteronoma and a unilateral pheochromocitoma, respectively.
Mean operative time was 42 minutes, perioperative course was uneventful, patients were discharged on 2nd postoperative day.
RALPA is an effective, safe and feasible surgical procedure alternative to total adrenalectomy for small, benign adrenal lesions and may decrease the risk of the development of adrenal insufficiency.
Robotic technique may be useful for this procedure, given the need for a meticolous dissection for an optimal preservation of functioning adrenal tissue. A longer follow-up and larger cohorts of patients are required to assess the functional benefits of this technique compared to the standard adrenalectomy.