Robotic submesocolic left adrenalectomy: the evolution of delbet approach

Introduction: The left adrenal gland is prone to being approached with several access points. This study presents a series of robotic submesocolic left adrenalectomies. Materials and Methods: Intraoperative and post-operative outcomes of robotic (RB) and laparoscopic (LP) submesocolic (SM) access to the adrenal gland were compared. Subsequently, these were compared to left adrenalectomy performed using the anterior approach (AT). Results: Operative time was statistically longer in the LP group (p < 0.001). There was no statistical difference for postoperative complications. After the propensity matching, there was a correlation between the BMI and the onset of post-operative complications (OR = 1.01). The operative time was significantly longer in the AT group both overall (p = 0.023) and within the LP procedures (p < 0.001), but not in the RB procedures (p = 0.386). Length of stay was shorter in the SM group (p = 0.024). Conclusions: The RB SM approach to the left adrenal gland is a safe and feasible.