Abstract: Background and purpose: Laparoscopic retroperitoneal adrenalectomy makes access to the adrenal glands easier and less invasive than open surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic retroperitoneal adrenalectomy. Methods: A total of 130 patients who underwent retroperitoneal adrenalectomy for adrenal mass from Jan. 2007 to Dec. 2012 in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were retrospectively assessed. Their clinicopathological factors, perioperative complications and short-term prognostic data were retrieved from the medical records. Results: One hundred and twenty-seven of 130 patients underwent retroperitoneal adrenalectomy successfully, and 3 patients were converted to open surgery due to severe bleeding. Among 130 patients, 63 were male and 67 were female, with the mean age 50.0 years. The pathological results of the 130 patients indicated adrenocortical adenoma in 68, pheochromocytoma in 15, medullary lipoma in 13, adrenal cysts in 10 , ganglioneuroma in 7, metastatic cancer in 5, adrenal hyperplasia in 4, schwannoma in 3, lymphangioma in 2, adrenal hematoma in 1, adrenal cortical carcinoma in 1, adrenal angiosarcoma in 1 and the deputy spleen in 1 (one patient suffering from both pheochromocytoma and ganglioneuroma). The maximum diameters were ranging from 0.5 to 9.0 cm, and mean diameter was 3.48 cm. The average blood loss in surgery was 62.73 mL. Mean length of stay in hospital was 7 d. Grade Ⅰ complications occurred in 5 patients, including 2 of fever, 1 of food allergy, 1 of drug allergy and 1 of hypokalemia. Conclusion: Retroperitoneal adrenalectomy should be considered as the procedure of choice for the resection of most adrenal tumors in skilled centers with the advantages of minimal invasion, increased safety and faster recovery.

Key words: Retroperitoneal adrenalectomy, Peri-operative complication, Adrenal neoplasms