Adrenal Surgery

There are currently two different types of minimally invasive (laparoscopic or ‘keyhole’) operations to remove adrenal glands performed worldwide.

These two types of operation are:

- Transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy (often referred to simply as ‘laparoscopic adrenalectomy’) 
- Posterior laparoscopic adrenalectomy (often known as ‘retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy’).

In both operations surgical removal of the adrenal gland is performed by instruments inserted into the body using 3-4 small incisions (cuts), resulting in eventual scars around 1-2cm in size. In the retroperitoneoscopic operation the scars are on the back, whereas in the laparoscopic operation the scars are on the flank.

Whereas the laparoscopic operation is performed by many adrenal surgeons, the retroperitoneoscopic operation is performed by only a small number of surgeons in the UK. Mr Hardy is one of the few surgeons in the UK who performs both types of operation.

Because the adrenal glands are next to the kidney in the ‘back’ of the abdomen (or to give it the technical name, ‘retroperitoneum’), this type of operation is the most direct approach to the adrenal gland. 3 small incisions on the back are used in the operation.

This operation gives the least post-operative pain and quickest recovery to normal activities of any type of adrenal surgery, even compared to laparoscopic adrenalectomy. Many people are discharged home the day following surgery after undergoing this operation. This type of operation is also very good for people who have had previous surgery on their abdomen (belly) for whom a laparoscopic approach is usually very difficult because of internal scarring.

Mr Hardy is one of only a very small number of surgeons in the UK performing this operation.