Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Adrenalectomy via Laparascopy? Any experience?

  1. #1

    Default Adrenalectomy via Laparascopy? Any experience?

    Hi All - I hope it's okay to post a second thread - I was worried this single question would get lost in my current thread about struggling with decision on surgery. I just came across article on laparascopy for adrenalectomy. This was not mentioned at NCSU - but I found an article about it from UC Davis and then googled and found other practices in NC (where I am) that does the procedure. Does anyone know anything about this procedure? Is it less risky? I am going to call tomorrow and ask some questions but the way things have gone, people on this forum know so much more and I would love to get info on this. (I have posted all of Teddy's testing on my other thread and I have been reading other people's post to try to understand what it all means and get some relative information). Thank you so much for any input!

    Here is an article comparing open surgery adrenalectomy to larascopic

    Article from August 2017 about innovative procedure at UC Davis
    Last edited by Catbud; 03-27-2018 at 08:43 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Georgia
    Posts
    15,292

    Default Re: Adrenalectomy via Laparascopy? Any experience?

    Normally we do like to consolidate all conversations about each dog in a single thread. However, I agree that this is a general topic that warrants discussion all on it’s own. I had not been aware, myself, that adrenalectomies were being performed laparoscopically. So this may indeed be a significant surgical advancement, and I’ll be anxious to learn more!

    For anyone who’s interested to read more about Teddy’s specific journey, here’s a link to his thread:

    http://www.k9cushings.com/forum/show...sion-treatment

    Marianne

  3. #3

    Default Re: Adrenalectomy via Laparascopy? Any experience?

    For what it is worth, I just spoke to dr. at NCSU and asked about the laparoscopy option for adrenalectomy. She said it is an option but they typically choose to do open surgery in order to have more and quicker access in the event of bleeding or complications. She said laparoscopy is easier on the dog and it is an option, but they do not do it as much for that reason.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    39

    Default Re: Adrenalectomy via Laparascopy? Any experience?

    I knew this was an option, but it wasn't one we considered for Winston's adrenalectomy. I personally would be very nervous about attempting an experimental procedure for such an already inherently risky surgery. The paper does make things look promising and I'm interested to see where this goes in the future. It sounds like not many places are doing them laparoscopically and I would worry about a surgeon trying to 'change it up' and try a new technique. Maybe once it catches on and more people are doing them or if the surgeon had done a bunch that way I would feel differently. It sounds like some people are braver than me to have tried this already!

    In Winston's case specifically, he needed a couple other procedures done (biopsies of his intestines and a small mass on his pancreas) and I don't think we could have done them laparoscopically. The surgeon told me his tumor was really adhered to his vena cava and she had to gently work to get it off...I wonder how that works with laparoscopy? Are the instruments they stick in the small incisions capable of such a delicate task? I assume so,but I don't know. Since I didn't do a CT scan before surgery, it was also really important that our surgeon be able to feel his vessels to make sure there wasn't a clot or chunk of tumor in the vena cava. It sounds like you'd absolutely have to have a CT scan to even see if a dog is a candidate for laparoscopy since only dogs without the tumor in the vena cava are candidates. Our surgeon also talked about the right adrenal gland being harder to access than the left because it was closer to the vena cava, pancreas, etc so I wonder if or how that plays into laparoscopy.

    It could be an exciting development for sure and might be a good thing for people to discuss with their surgeon. Winston was definitely uncomfortable the first few days (his incision went from right at his sternum and all down his abdomen to his pubic bone essentially) and it sounds like laparoscopy could have been an easier recovery for him, though it probably wouldn't decrease the main life-threatening post-operative risks like pulmonary thromboemboli.
    Kellie, dog-mom to Winston

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •