Oral Presentation I

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Minimally invasive surgery of the adrenal gland is widespread. Although reports demonstrate the safety and feasibility of robot-assisted adrenalectomy, the objective benefits are still unclear, compared to those of conventional laparoscopy. Recently, robot-assisted approach has also become possible for pheochromocytoma resection. Since cardiopulmonary changes during robot-assisted dissection of the pheochromocytoma patient has not been studied in detail, we aimed to assess these concerns, compared to the routine laparoscopic technique. METHODS In this case-control study, 19 consecutive robot-assisted adrenal resections were compared with a control group consisting of 14 conventional laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Patient characteristics and intraoperative hemodynamic and respiratory parameters were assessed. Groups were compared using the χ2 test for categorical variables and Student's t-test for continuous variables. Significance was considered p < 0.05. RESULTS The robot-assisted procedure was performed successfully in all patients, except one. The duration of the robot-assisted procedure, compared to the conventional laparoscopy group, was significantly longer (p < 0.05). Intraoperative blood loss was significantly less in the robot-assisted group (p < 0.05). Dissection of pheochromocytoma showed a significant difference between the groups, according to the incidence of intraoperative blood pressure fluctuations (p < 0.05). The robot-assisted approach resulted in less incidents. Other hemodynamic and respiratory parameters did not differ between groups significantly. There were no perioperative deaths. Complication rates and postoperative hospital stays were not significantly different. CONCLUSION Robot-assisted adrenalectomy is a safe and technically feasible procedure for a pheochromocytoma patient. Robot-assisted resection of pheochromocytoma minimized the occurrence of intraoperative blood pressure fluctuations and blood loss.