The emerging role of robotics in adrenal surgery

Robotic Adrenalectomy: A 10-Year Clinical Experience at a Tertiary Medical Center

Background and Objective:

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is now the preferred approach for most adrenal tumors. As minimally invasive surgery departments gain familiarity with the robotic platform, the safety profiles and efficacy of robotic adrenalectomy has been an area of continued discussion. The objective of this study is to outline our experience with transitioning to the robotic platform and determining the effectiveness and safety of transperitoneal robotic adrenalectomy.

Methods:

We performed a single-center, retrospective review of 37 patients who underwent transperitoneal robotic adrenalectomy between August 1, 2010 and August 31, 2020. Outcomes included patient morbidity, hospital length of stay, operative time, estimated blood loss, gland volume, pathology, and postoperative complications.

Results:

Sixty-five percent of the total robotic adrenalectomies were of the left adrenal gland. The average operating room time was 213 minutes. The average gland volume was 71 cm³, estimated blood loss was 74 mL and length of stay was 1.4 days. There were no significant differences in outcomes between the right and left total robotic adrenalectomies. Approximately one-third of our cohort had an adrenal cortical adenoma, while only one patient had adrenal cortical carcinoma. Four patients experienced postoperative complications that resulted in unplanned hospital readmissions and there was one mortality.

Conclusions:

Although the standard of care for most adrenal tumors is laparoscopic resection, our 10-year experience has shown that robotic adrenalectomy is highly effective and can be a valuable tool in the community and academic setting.

Single-incision robotic adrenalectomy (SIRA): the future of adrenal surgery?

In compliance with the trend toward less invasive techniques, single incision robotic surgeries have become more common and they have been increasingly used for several surgeries including adrenalectomy. Single incision robotic adrenalectomy (SIRA) aims to combine the merits of robotic surgery with previously defined single incision laparoscopic techniques. It has been shown to be safe and feasible, however, there are only few studies on this new technique. Due to scant data on SIRA in the current literature, it remains to be a current challenge in adrenal surgery. In this review, our goal is to present current literature on SIRA and discuss the data regarding perioperative outcomes, patient selection, learning curve, and its limitations.

Robotic adrenalectomy: evaluation of cost-effectiveness

Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is the preferred treatment option for adrenal lesions, considering the improved patients outcomes, due to the reduced postoperative morbidity and postoperative pain, the faster recovery and the shorter length of hospital stay. The widespread diffusion of robotic technology led to the development and standardization of robot-assisted approach to adrenalectomy. However, to date, no clear benefit from the use of the robot-assisted approach has been found. The higher costs remain an important drawback and limit the implementation of robot-assisted adrenalectomy (RA) programs. This review summarizes the current available data regarding RA including its operative outcomes, advantages and drawbacks in comparison with conventional LA, evaluating its cost-effectiveness.

Adrenalectomy for Cushing's syndrome: do's and don'ts

Aim. To present specific aspects of adrenalectomy for Cushing's syndrome (CS) by introducing well established aspects ("do's") and less known aspects ("don'ts"). Material and Method. This is a narrative review. Results. The "do's" for laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) are the following: it represents the "gold standard" for secretor and non-secretor adrenal tumors and the first line therapy for CS with an improvement of cardio-metabolic co-morbidities; the success rate depending on the adequate patients' selection and the surgeon's skills. The "don'ts" are large (>6-8 centimeters), locally invasive, malignant tumors requiring open adrenalectomy (OA). Robotic adrenalectomy is a new alternative for LA, with similar safety and conversion rate and lower pain drugs use. The "don'ts" are the following: lack of randomized controlled studies including oncologic outcome, different availability at surgical centers. Related to the sub-types of CS, the "do's" are the following: adrenal adenomas which are cured by LA, while adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) requires adrenalectomy as first line therapy and adjuvant mitotane therapy; synchronous bilateral adrenalectomy (SBA) is useful for Cushing's disease (only cases refractory to pituitary targeted therapy), for ectopic Cushing's syndrome (cases with unknown or inoperable primary site), and for bilateral cortisol producing adenomas. The less established aspects are the following: criteria of skilled surgeon to approach ACC; the timing of surgery in subclinical CS; the need for adrenal vein catheterization (which is not available in many centers) to avoid unnecessary SBA. Conclusion. Adrenalectomy for CS is a dynamic domain; LA overstepped the former OA area. The future will improve the knowledge related to RA while the cutting edge is represented by a specific frame of intervention in SCS, children and pregnant women. Abbreviations: ACC = adrenocortical carcinoma, ACTH = Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, CD = Cushing's disease, CS = Cushing's syndrome, ECS = Ectopic Cushing's syndrome, LA = laparoscopic adrenalectomy, OA = open adrenalectomy, PA = partial adrenalectomy, RA = robotic adrenalectomy, SCS = subclinical Cushing' syndrome.

Robot-assisted vs open adrenalectomy: evaluation of cost-effectiveness and peri-operative outcome

OBJECTIVES

To compare robot-assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy (RALA) and open adrenalectomy (OA) with regard to intra-operative complications, peri-operative outcome and cost effectiveness.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Functional and statistical data from patients who underwent OA or RALA between 2001 and 2015 were prospectively recorded including intra- and postoperative outcomes. Data on per-day costs from current census reports (€540/day and €1 145/day for normal and intermediate care [IMC]) were also used to evaluate treatment costs. Additional costs for RALA were assumed at €2288 as reported in the current literature. Patients were matched by American Society of Anesthesiologists score, age, side of surgery and gender for comparison of OA and RALA. A total of 28 matched pairs were analysed with regard to patient characteristics, peri-operative outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Statistical significance of outcome variables was determined using Student's t-test and Pearson's chi-squared test.

RESULTS

As a result of the matching process, patient groups did not differ in their main characteristics. Length of hospital stay was shorter for RALA than for OA (11.1 ± 4.8 vs 6.8 ± 1.2 days; P < 0.01) as was IMC treatment (2.3 ± 1.7 vs 1.2 ± 0.4 days; P < 0.01). The mean operating time was longer for RALA (128.5 ± 46.5 vs 102.2 ± 44.5 min; P = 0.03), but the last 10 RALA procedures (mean: 97.1 ± 35.2 min) were similar to OA. The rate of complications was similar in the two groups. Estimated costs were €8 627.5 for OA and €7 334 for RALA.

CONCLUSIONS

The study showed that RALA was safe and cost-effective compared with OA. Increasing experience leads to similar operating times, putting high-volume centres at an advantage.

Oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): adrenal metastases. Experience in a single institution

Though the actual incidence of an adrenal oligometastasis is between 1.5 and 3.5 %, secondary adrenal neoplasms occur in less than 10 % patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). According to 7° ed. TNM staging system, the presence of an adrenal metastasis (M1b disease) configures stage IV, which is usually associated with poor prognosis. We evaluated if metastasectomy in selected patients with oligometastatic disease improves overall survival. A 15-year retrospective study concerning patients with NSCLC was performed and an oligometastatic disease was found in 1.61 % of the patients. 18 adrenalectomies were performed. Clustering the population according to different therapeutic strategies, a benefit in terms of survival was found in patients who underwent adrenalectomy. A statistical relevance was found, indeed, between adrenalectomy (p < 0.01), metachronous disease (p < 0.01), the presence of a homolateral disease (p < 0.05) and overall survival. Adrenalectomy should be offered in selected patients with oligometastatic disease.

European Association of Endoscopic Surgeons (EAES) consensus statement on the use of robotics in general surgery

Following an extensive literature search and a consensus conference with subject matter experts the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. Robotic surgery is still at its infancy, and there is a great potential in sophisticated electromechanical systems to perform complex surgical tasks when these systems evolve. 2. To date, in the vast majority of clinical settings, there is little or no advantage in using robotic systems in general surgery in terms of clinical outcome. Dedicated parameters should be addressed, and high quality research should focus on quality of care instead of routine parameters, where a clear advantage is not to be expected. 3. Preliminary data demonstrates that robotic system have a clinical benefit in performing complex procedures in confined spaces, especially in those that are located in unfavorable anatomical locations. 4. There is a severe lack of high quality data on robotic surgery, and there is a great need for rigorously controlled, unbiased clinical trials. These trials should be urged to address the cost-effectiveness issues as well. 5. Specific areas of research should include complex hepatobiliary surgery, surgery for gastric and esophageal cancer, revisional surgery in bariatric and upper GI surgery, surgery for large adrenal masses, and rectal surgery. All these fields show some potential for a true benefit of using current robotic systems. 6. Robotic surgery requires a specific set of skills, and needs to be trained using a dedicated, structured training program that addresses the specific knowledge, safety issues and skills essential to perform this type of surgery safely and with good outcomes. It is the responsibility of the corresponding professional organizations, not the industry, to define the training and credentialing of robotic basic skills and specific procedures. 7. Due to the special economic environment in which robotic surgery is currently employed special care should be taken in the decision making process when deciding on the purchase, use and training of robotic systems in general surgery. 8. Professional organizations in the sub-specialties of general surgery should review these statements and issue detailed, specialty-specific guidelines on the use of specific robotic surgery procedures in addition to outlining the advanced robotic surgery training required to safely perform such procedures.

Robotics in general surgery: an evidence-based review

Since its introduction, robotic surgery has been rapidly adopted to the extent that it has already assumed an important position in the field of general surgery. This rapid progress is quantitative as well as qualitative. In this review, we focus on the relatively common procedures to which robotic surgery has been applied in several fields of general surgery, including gastric, colorectal, hepato-biliary-pancreatic, and endocrine surgery, and we discuss the results to date and future possibilities. In addition, the advantages and limitations of the current robotic system are reviewed, and the advanced technologies and instruments to be applied in the near future are introduced. Such progress is expected to facilitate the widespread introduction of robotic surgery in additional fields and to solve existing problems.

Combined robotic lobectomy and adrenalectomy for lung cancer and solitary adrenal metastasis

Combined robotic lobectomy and adrenalectomy in select patients is oncologically sound and associated with the benefits of minimally invasive surgery.

Background and Objectives:

Surgical resection of isolated adrenal metastasis in primary lung cancer is associated with improved survival. We report a combined robotic lobectomy and adrenalectomy for resection of a primary lung cancer and metastasis to the adrenal gland.

Methods:

A 69-year-old male with a significant smoking history and shortness of breath was found to have a 3-cm left upper lobe mass with an enlarged left adrenal gland measuring 1.5cm. The adrenal gland was biopsied confirming metastatic poorly differentiated carcinoma, likely lung cancer. Computed tomography, positron emission tomography, and mediastinoscopy revealed no evidence of disease outside the adrenal gland.

Results:

Following induction chemotherapy, the patient underwent combination robotic lobectomy, lymphadenectomy, and adrenalectomy while in the same lateral decubitus position. Thoracic and urologic oncology teams performed their respective portions of the operation. Overall operative time was 4 hours, and length of hospital stay was 3 days. Estimated blood loss was 150mL with no narcotic requirements beyond the first postoperative day. Final pathology revealed large cell carcinoma of the lung with metastasis to the adrenal. All surgical margins were negative.

Conclusions:

Combination robotic lobectomy and adrenalectomy is feasible and can be associated with a short convalescence, minimal pain, and an oncologically sound approach.

The use of robotics in pediatric surgery: my initial experience

Robotic assisted minimal invasive surgery (RMIS) is a new resource popular in some surgical specialties but not yet in pediatric surgery. There are numerous advantages of robotic surgical technology in adult patients well documented in the literature. The purpose of this study is to define the feasibility, safety, and benefits of RMIS in pediatric patients in my initial learning experience. In a period of 24 months, all consecutive abdominal RMIS were reviewed. Chart revision was conducted retrospectively. Demographic data were collected in each patient. Other data reviewed were indications for surgery, surgical procedures, complication rate, and conversion rate to open procedure. Four arms robotic equipment was used in all cases with 3 (5 mm) reusable robotic ports and a single (12 mm) disposable port. A total of 102 consecutive abdominal RMIS were performed in 77 pediatric patients. All cases were performed by the same pediatric surgeon in a teaching institution. The average patient age was 6.2 years (ranged from 4 months to 18 years) with 16 patients <1 year of age. The smallest patient was 4 kg. No cases required conversion to open technique. However, one case was converted to laparoscopy because of mesenteric bleeding. There were five intraoperative complications in three patients: minor bleeding (2), suture orogastric tube (1), and gastric opening (2) with repair. Postoperative complications were noted in four patients: mild dysphagia (2) and Nissen wrap breakdown (2). Although the use of RMIS in pediatric patients is still controversial, it is feasible and safe to perform robotic surgery in children with a low complication rate. In addition, excellent visualization with outstanding maneuverability of instruments is of great benefit. These benefits may offset the increased cost of robotic technology especially in technically complex surgical cases.

Adrenal incidentaloma: Anesthetic management, the challenge and the outcome

Adrenal incidentalomas is a term increasingly used now and applied to any adrenal mass that is found incidentally on an imaging of a patient with complaints not related to adrenal pathology. This case report presents a patient with incidental adrenal mass that was evaluated according to proposed recommendations and planned for robotic-assisted laparoscopic adrenalectomy. There is increasing number of literatures on the advantages of robotic surgery for adrenal resection; however, there is controversy regarding the hemodynamic stability of patients during these procedures especially with patient suspected to have pheochromocytoma. We included literature reviews on the role of robotics and use of laparoscopy for adrenalectomy and the anesthetic considerations in these procedures aiming to raise awareness and draw attention to this increasingly emerging disease entity.