Robotic Adrenalectomy

Abstract

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy had become a preferred surgical method for adrenal tumors, and its applied range is broadening. For the experienced surgeons, surgeries for pheochromocytoma, giant or malignant adrenal tumor, and metastatic adrenal tumors can be finished under the laparoscope, and its advantages in safety, reliability and minimally invasive are obvious. With the widely use of robot surgery system all over the world, robot assisted adrenal surgeries had also proved to be an alternative treatment method, which have equal therapeutic effect with laparoscopic surgery. The advantages of robot assisted surgery are mainly manifested in following aspects: Three-dimensional and amplifying view, ergonomics and the activity range of endowrists. It’s reported recently that the therapeutic effect between robot assisted surgery and laparoscopic surgery are similar, and advantages of reconstructive surgery and intraperitoneal knotting are evident. Robot assisted surgeries have better comfortableness and short learning curve for surgeons, so wide range of applications and prospects are foreseeable. Comparing the retroperitoneal approach, the transperitoneal adrenal surgeries may have more injury risk to the adjacent organs like liver, spleen, pancreas and major vessels when exposing the adrenal gland. Especially for tiny adrenal tumors, the exposure is relatively more difficult. According to the author’s experience, robot assisted surgeries may have its unique superiority for giant adrenal tumors or adrenal tumors which have complicated anatomic relationship.