Risk factors for conversion and complications after unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy

Background: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is the procedure of choice for surgical management of most benign adrenal tumours, with a reported overall complication rate around 10 per cent. The aim of this study was to determine predictive factors for postoperative complications and conversion to open surgery after unilateral LA.

Methods: From 1994 to 2009, consecutive patients undergoing unilateral LA by the lateral transabdominal approach were analysed from a prospectively maintained database. A mass larger than 12 cm in diameter and suspected primary adrenal carcinoma were considered contraindications to LA. Predictive factors for postoperative complications and conversion to open surgery were analysed.

Results: Some 462 patients were analysed. There were no postoperative deaths. Postoperative complications occurred in 53 patients (11·5 per cent), medical complications in 28, and surgical complications in 33 patients. Six patients underwent reoperation for complications. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that conversion to open surgery (odds ratio (OR) 6·20, 95 per cent confidence interval 2·08 to 18·53; P = 0·001) and left-sided tumour (OR 1·89, 1·02 to 3·52; P = 0·044) were independent predictive factors for overall complications. Conversion to open surgery was the only independent predictive factor for medical complications (OR 12·88, 4·21 to 39·41; P = 0·001), and left-sided LA was the only predictive factor for surgical complications (OR 2·22, 1·01 to 4·89; P = 0·047). No factor was predictive of conversion to open surgery.

Conclusion: In this single-institution study, conversion to open surgery and left-sided tumours were independent predictive factors for overall complications, but none of the variables analysed was predictive of conversion.