New approaches to the minimally invasive treatment of adrenal lesions.

The advancement of laparoscopic adrenalectomy over the past decade has completely changed the surgical approach to adrenal tumors. As the incidence of incidentally discovered adrenal tumors increases, most patients with resectable lesions can undergo resection laparoscopically with minimal morbidity, shorter hospitalization, and low mortality. The spectrum of surgical approaches now available make it possible to provide an appropriate resection that is matched to the specific characteristics of each tumor. Experienced surgeons now resect some malignant tumors laparoscopically, with the option to convert to a hand-assisted or traditional open approach.