Experience with laparoscopic adrenalectomy in children.

In a review of 109 cases reported in the literature, including our own experience with two successful right laparoscopic adrenalectomies performed in a 3-year old girl for androgen-secreting adenoma and in a 9-year-old male for pheochromocytoma, we analysed the indications, surgical techniques and results of video-assisted (laparoscopic or retroperitoneoscopic) adrenalectomy in children. The indications are no different from those for traditional surgery. It seems that there are no age or tumour size limits for a well-trained surgical team. The best endoscopic approach needs to be more clearly defined. Experience shows that laparoscopy is undoubtly preferred for right adrenalectomy (95.2% of cases), while left adrenalectomy has been performed by retroperitoneoscopy in 30% of cases. Considering the conversion rate of laparoscopy vs retroperitoneoscopy (12.5% vs 28.5%), right laparoscopic vs right retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (4.7% vs 100%) and left laparoscopic vs left retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy (5% vs 16.6%) and on the basis of our experience in adults, we recommend laparoscopic adrenalectomy via a transperitoneal route in 45-degree flank decubitus for both right and left adrenal lesions. However, we think that the best surgical result can be achieved if the paediatric and adult surgeon collaborate with their different experience and expertise. As a technical point, we would like to stress that because of the child's small peritoneal cavity, trocar placement must be lower than in adults. Lastly, we suggest the use of new technological devices such as the Ultracision Harmonic Scalpel, which was a critical factor in our two successful right laparoscopic adrenalectomies.

Simultaneous aortoiliac reconstruction and renal transplantation: is it safe?

A 54-year-old man with an aortoiliac aneurysm and renal failure due to renal artery thrombosis was placed on a transplantation waiting list. The aneurysm had a 3 cm diameter and, therefore, did not require aortoiliac reconstruction, while its evolution was followed by ultrasound color-doppler every six months. The aneurysm was stable and two years later, when a cadaver kidney became available, a preoperative ultrasound color-doppler showed initial wall dissection. Therefore, an abdominal aneurysmectomy using a standard Dacron bifurcation graft and renal transplantation were successfully carried out. The patient had no associated complications and 24 months after transplantation and aneurysmectomy currently has good renal function and distal pulses. Only 20 cases of simultaneous aortoiliac reconstruction and renal transplantation have been reported in the literature. The excellent results of our case and those reported in the literature prove that patients who have both severe aortoiliac disease and end-stage renal failure can safely undergo simultaneous aortic reconstruction and renal transplantation. However, the atherosclerosis in these patients is a generalized process, so that in the pretransplant protocol special attention should be paid to detecting coronary artery atherosclerosis. In fact, coronary artery disease may have a priority claim to therapy because of the high risk of myocardial infarction. Our own policy is to put the patient back on the waiting list for renal transplantation after treatment for coronary artery disease. Furthermore, considering that the management for aortoiliac disease and kidney failure is safe in both simultaneous and staged cases, we think that the real issue is whether or not these patients with coronary atherosclerosis can be candidates for renal transplantation. We believe that each transplant centre has to develop its own general policy for these critically ill patients on the basis of its own experience.