Immediate laparoscopic adrenalectomy versus observation: cost evaluation for incidental adrenal lesions with atypical imaging characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Because of controversy in the management of nonfunctional adrenal masses <6 cm with lipid-poor imaging characteristics, the study was conducted to compare the costs of observation versus immediate laparoscopic adrenalectomy. METHODS: A total of 370 patients who were evaluated for incidental adrenal masses between January 1999 and December 2007 were identified, and 32 (8.7%) patients had lesions with imaging characteristics that were inconsistent with a benign adenoma (ie, atypical appearing). Sixteen patients underwent immediate surgery and 16 had observation with serial imaging and biochemical studies. The associated total costs were subjected to intention-to-treat analysis. RESULTS: In the observation cohort, 7 patients converted and underwent adrenalectomy after a mean of 13.1 months. Initially, costs of immediate surgery exceeded those of observation ($12,015.72 vs $11,601.18, P = .10). After projecting costs of annual surveillance, a cost advantage for immediate surgery was demonstrated after 9 years (P = .02). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with <6 cm atypical-appearing adrenal lesions, the costs of surgery and of observation are initially equal. After 9 years, the costs of surveillance exceed that of initial laparoscopic adrenalectomy.

Laparoscopic treatment of adrenal diseases: 10 years on.

Since it was initially described in 1992 laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) has been gaining popularity amongst urologists and its range of applications has progressively widened. Ten years after the first report of LA this type of operation is presently considered to be the 'standard of care' for most adrenal diseases requiring surgery. We define the current role of laparoscopy in the management of surgical adrenal diseases, using a Medline search (1997-2002) to assess reports of LA, focusing on indications, approaches (transperitoneal and retroperitoneoscopic) and comparative analyses, taking particular care to evaluate operative duration, rate of conversion and transfusion, complications and hospital stay. With both approaches LA is safe and effective and, when compared with open surgery, offers the same functional results with all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery. We conclude that LA based on either approach should be considered the treatment of choice for benign adrenal lesions. Although very promising, conservative surgery and LA should still be evaluated in cases of malignancy.

Cost-reductive retroperitoneal excision of large adrenal pseudocyst: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a case of a non-functioning cystic adrenal mass. It was detected on an abdominal ultrasound carried out for right flank pain in a 45-year-old lady. Biochemical parameters like 24-hour urinary free cortisol, catecholamines and serum potassium level were normal. Retroperitoneoscopic excision of the large cystic mass was done by using our cost-reductive technique as previously described. Histopathology turned out to be a pseudocyst with wall fibrosis and calcification.