Laparoscopic
adrenalectomy is the gold standard procedure for most adrenal
tumors.
Obesity is considered as a risk factor for surgical complications. This study aimed to evaluate whether
obesity affects peri- and postoperative outcomes of transabdominal laparoscopic
adrenalectomy using body mass index (BMI). This retrospective study included 98 patients who underwent transabdominal laparoscopic
adrenalectomy between January 2011 and December 2016. We divided the patients into 2 groups: non-obese group (BMI < 25 kg/m2) and obese group (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2). We assessed perioperative outcomes and postoperative complications between the groups. A total of 98 patients were analyzed (70 without
obesity and 28 with
obesity). There were no significant differences between the non-obese and obese groups regarding
operative time (111 vs 107 min; p = 0.795), blood loss (3.5 vs 3.5 ml; p = 0.740), rate of placement of additional
trocars (14.3% vs 17.9%; p = 0.657), rate of open conversion (2.6% vs 3.6%; p = 0.853), and postoperative length of
hospital stay (6 vs 5 days; p = 0.237). Furthermore,
obesity was not a significant risk factor for postoperative complications (postoperative
bleeding,
wound infection, and
pneumonia). There are no significant differences in peri- and postoperative outcomes of transabdominal laparoscopic
adrenalectomy in patients with
obesity compared with those without
obesity. Transabdominal laparoscopic
adrenalectomy is feasible and safe for patients with
obesity.