Abstract

This systematic literature review assesses the efficacy and outcomes of open adrenalectomy (OA) and laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) for the treatment of adrenocortical tumors larger than 6 cm in diameter. The review synthesizes data from various clinical trials and retrospective studies to compare key surgical metrics counting operative time, alongside blood loss and hospital stay duration, complication rates, and oncological outcomes between OA and LA. Searches spanned major databases like PubMed and Embase using relevant terms, reviewing 25 studies after screening and exclusions. The findings indicate that LA, while advantageous in minimizing blood loss, reducing hospital stay, and lowering complication rates, is limited to select cases based on tumor size and malignancy risk. Conversely, OA remains the preferred method for larger or malignant tumors due to its comprehensive nature and superior oncologic control. This review highlights the need for personalized surgical tactics based on tumor characteristics, advocating for advancements in laparoscopic techniques to potentially expand their applicability to larger tumors.

Description