To evaluate whether the technical advantages of robotic-assisted surgery over standard laparoscopy, which are well established for complex renal surgery, lead to variable surgical outcomes between laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) and robotic adrenalectomy (RA).
Using the National Cancer Database, we identified patients who underwent LA or RA for non-metastatic primary adrenal malignancy from 2010-2013. Primary outcomes were need for open conversion, surgical margin status, and performance of regional lymphadenectomy. Secondary outcomes were length of stay, readmission, and perioperative mortality. Baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared between approaches using the chi-square, Fisher's exact, and Mann-Whitney-U tests.
238 (82%) LA and 51 (18%) RA cases were identified. The LA and RA groups did not show any significant differences in terms of patient age, gender, race, Charlson score, tumor laterality, size (median 4.2 -9.0 cm), histology, grade, hospital type, and case volume. The rate of open conversion was 5.9% for RA vs. 17.2% for LA (p=.04). There were no significant differences in rates of positive margins, lymphadenectomy, inpatient stay, readmission, or mortality.
RA significantly decreases need for open conversion compared to LA. Although RA improves technical feasibility, the oncological adequacy of minimally invasive resection remains uncertain.
Go Beyond the Abstract and Read a Commentary by the Authors
Urology. 2018 Sep 06 [Epub ahead of print]
Kirtishri Mishra, Matthew J Maurice, Laura Bukavina, Robert Abouassaly
Urology Institute, University Hospitals-Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA., Canton Urology, Aultman Medical Group, Canton, Ohio, USA., Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Louis Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Electronic address: .