Hypertension outcomes of adrenalectomy for unilateral primary aldosteronism

Purpose: To evaluate laboratory and clinical results after unilateral adrenalectomy in patients with primary aldosteronism (PHA).

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from patients who underwent transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy for PHA, between January 2008 and December 2019. Surgical indications were based on adrenal venous sampling without ACTH stimulation. Analyses included patient demographics; preoperative clinical, pharmacological, laboratory, and radiological data; and postoperative results assessed after a median of 4 months. Antihypertensive drug use was quantified by estimating the daily defined dose (DDD) of antihypertensive medication, thus enabling standardized comparison of dosage between the drug classes. Statistical assessments included univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results: This study enrolled 87 patients. The patients were taking 5.4 DDD of antihypertensive medication before surgery, and 3.0 DDD after surgery. Complete biochemical success of surgery was reached 67 patients (77%), 19 patients (22%) had partial biochemical success. Complete clinical success with normalization of blood pressure and withdrawal of all antihypertensive drugs was achieved in 19 patients (22%). 57 patients (65%) exhibited a reduction of DDD after surgery and/or improvement of blood pressure-partial clinical success. Thus, in 76 (87%) of all enrolled patients, surgery had an overall positive effect on hypertension control. Multivariable logistic regression showed that complete clinical success was independently associated with female gender and baseline sum of antihypertensive drugs DDD < 4.

Conclusion: A majority of patients undergoing unilateral adrenalectomy for PHA achieved markedly improved hypertension control, despite almost halving their antihypertensive medication. Almost a quarter of patients were cured and able to cease using all antihypertensive drugs.