Adrenal gland tumors is a focal growth of adrenal cells. Most of such tumors are benign and occur rarely. The causes of adrenal gland tumor development are unknown.
Adrenal glands produce hormones regulating metabolism, blood pressure as well as male and female sex hormones. Main clinical manifestations of adrenal gland tumor depend on what kind of hormone is produced in excess.
The main treatment is surgical removal of the adrenal gland so called adrenalectomy. The most frequently used and at the same time, the most traumatic method of treatment is an open access to an adrenal gland.
Laparoscopic access is carried out through an abdominal cavity with the use of endoscopic techniques. The surgery is performed by caring out several incisions of anterior abdominal wall for introduction of endoscopic camera and several other instruments into the abdominal cavity. The instrumental intestinal trauma during adrenal gland surgery is the most important disadvantage of the laparoscopic access.
Robotic removal of adrenal gland can be carried out through laparoscopic access. Da Vinci robotic surgery allows the surgeon to perform adrenal gland surgery in more convenient way, however trauma of such operation is no less than trauma of laparoscopic removal of adrenal gland.
In carrying out retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy the patient is lying on the operational table on the stomach. Three incisions are made on lower back, through which endoscope camera and two instruments are introduced. The surgeon by manipulating the instruments exposes the adrenal gland in retroperitoneal fat, clips the vessels of adrenal glands and removes it, without dissecting the peritoneum and penetrating into the abdominal cavity. In uncomplicated cases and not very large sizes of the tumor the surgery of adrenal gland removal through retroperitoneal access may last 30-40 minutes.
The above mentioned operations, except robot-assisted surgeries, are successfully carried out in Urology Department of MC Erebouni under supervision of the head of the Department, professor Sergey Fanarjyan.
