Single-Access Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy (SARA) Versus Conventional Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy (CORA): A Case-Control Study

Stimulated by the concept of Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES), minimizing the access even further has become a new trend in minimally invasive surgery. We compare our recently described new method of endoscopic single-access adrenalectomy with the conventional retroperitoneoscopic approach in a matched-pairs study. Fifty single-access retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomies (SARA) were performed in 47 selected patients suffering from Conn's adenomas (n = 20), pheochromocytomas (n = 15), Cushing's adenomas (n = 6), and other diseases (n = 6). For SARA, a single 2-cm skin incision beneath the 12th rib was used. Following creation of the retroperitoneal space with the rigid endoscope, dissection was carried out single-handed. Another 47 patients served as control group; they were treated by the traditional retroperitoneoscopic three-port approach (CORA). Patients were matched with respect to gender, body mass index, diagnoses, tumor size, and tumor site. Mortality was zero and no major complications occurred in both groups. SARA was completed in 41 cases (86%). The overall complication rate was 8.5% in SARA and 6.4% in CORA. Operative time was longer for SARA (56 +/- A 28 min) than for CORA (40 +/- A 12 min) (P < 0.05). Postoperatively, pain medication was administered in 47% of SARA patients and in 75% of CORA patients (P = 0.01). Mean hospital stay was 2.4 +/- A 0.7 days (SARA) and 3.1 +/- A 1.2 days (CORA) (P < 0.01). Because feasibility and safety of SARA could be demonstrated in a large group of selected patients, this surgical technique may represent a new milestone in minimally invasive endocrine surgery.