[Laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomy--technique and personal experiences].

Laparoscopic transperitoneal and endoscopic extraperitoneal adrenalectomy are two safe options in minimally invasive surgery associated with very low morbidity. The anterior transperitoneal approach we prefer yields a better exposure of the anatomic structures and allows the surgeon to orient himself more easily. In addition, various other laparoscopic maneuvers may be performed synchronously. We report on our own experience with eight laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomies performed in four cases unilaterally and in two additional cases bilaterally during April, 1996, and January, 1997, in six patients aged 20 to 56 years. The indications were in four cases pheochromocytoma (operated on bilaterally in two cases), and in the remaining two cases adrenal Cushing's syndrome. The duration of surgery was approximately 240 min for bilateral adrenalectomy and 166 min for unilateral adrenalectomy, respectively, with an intraoperative blood loss of about 50 to 400 ml. Except for haematoma of the abdominal wall there were no other postoperative complications. The serum levels of interleukin 6 and 10 underline the minimal invasiveness of this technique, since there were only small increases of interleukin 6 and interleukin 10.