Robotic adrenalectomy by an open surgeon: are outcomes different?

Our objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of robotic adrenalectomy by a traditional open surgeon using the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System and to analyze our outcomes. All patients who underwent robotic adrenalectomy by a single surgeon from July 2001 to April 2011 were included in the study. Vascular inflow control was obtained early on to facilitate dissection and handling of the adrenal gland. Forty adrenalectomies were performed during the study period in 39 patients (15 males; 25 left sided; 1 bilateral). Four patients underwent conversion to complete the procedure. The mean tumor size was 6.97 ± 2.4 cm. The mean operating room (OR) time was 117 ± 50.4 min. Comparing the OR time between da Vinci and da Vinci S robotic systems showed that the OR time was significantly less (169 ± 46 vs. 94.25 ± 32 min; P = 0.002) while blood loss, length of stay, size and weight were not different. The mean length of stay was 3 days. There were no mortalities in our study. Benign neoplasms formed a majority of the tumors removed. Robotic adrenalectomy is an option for surgeons without extensive training in advanced laparoscopic techniques provided they have adequate open experience.