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Minimally Invasive Surgery / Laparoscopic Procedures


Removal of the Adrenal Gland (Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy)

  • Indications - The adrenal gland produces several hormones. Hormones are substances that circulate throughout the blood stream to help regulate blood pressure, sugar level and salt production. When these hormones are produced in excess they can cause imbalances in the body. An adrenal gland which produces too much of any one hormone often requires removal. Another reason to remove the adrenal gland is for suspicion of cancer. Like the kidney, humans have two adrenal glands and can survive normally with one.

  • Procedure - Several laparoscopic techniques have been developed to remove the adrenal gland. The decision of which to use is based on size and location of the adrenal gland. Common to all procedures is the use of 4 laparoscopic ports, a camera and specialized instruments to dissect free the adrenal from it's surrounding structure and clipping of the adrenal artery and vein. Removing the adrenal can be particularly challenging secondary to its close proximity to vital structure such as the vena cava, pancreas, liver and spleen. Prior to advent of laparoscopic removal of the adrenal gland large incisions were required to gain adequate exposure to prevent injuring these vital structures while removing the gland.

  • Results - The success rates of laparoscopic adrenalectomy have been excellent approaching 95%. The operation takes about 2 to 3 hours, hospital stay is only a few days and post-operative pain is significantly less when compared to the older open technique. Note however, significantly large glands and those producing volatile hormones may still be more safely removed using the open technique.



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