Robotic approach for partial adrenalectomy

Although safe and feasible, partial adrenalectomy is not a widespread procedure. Endorsement of robotic technologies and fluorescence techniques in adrenal surgery might help develop partial adrenalectomy and could avoid unnecessary total adrenalectomies. When performed in selected cases, partial adrenalectomy is associated with good postoperative outcomes comparable with those reported after total adrenalectomy. It has been hypothesized that one of the advantages of the robotic approach in adrenal-sparing surgery is to reduce manipulation of the gland allowing preservation of the vascularization of the residual adrenal, overcoming some limits when performing a laparoscopic conventional approach. A major drawback of the robotic surgery is its cost, but the overcost due to the use of the robotic system could be balanced by the execution of a high number of partial adrenalectomies leading to fewer life-long replacement steroid treatment. Partial adrenalectomy could become the recommended management for small benign and hormonal active adrenal tumors. Indocyanine green fluorescence (IGF) also seems to be a useful technique to help surgeons identify the adrenal gland and to locate small tumors from the normal adrenal tissue in difficult patients. It is likely that the use of a robotic approach associated with IGF may extend indications of partial adrenalectomy in the years to come.