Health Spotlight: Groundbreaking robotics curing adrenal problems

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A groundbreaking single-incision adrenal surgery is brand new and it’s proving to be much faster, resulting in shorter hospital stays.

Adrenal problems—from cancer or hormone overproduction—are often discovered while treating something else.

“They go into the ER and they’re having abdominal pain, or they even, you know, fell and broke a bone, and just by CT scan, they find that they have an adrenal mass,” said Dr. Helmi Khadra, an endocrine oncology surgeon at Houston Methodist.

Houston Methodist is the first to perform the robotic retro peritoneoscopic adrenalectomy.

“The advantage of this robot is making only one incision, and all of your instruments go in through that one little incision, using the high-definition camera of the robot,” Khadra said.

This single entry point limits infections, shortens hospital stays to one day, and patients experience less pain.

“They’re on their tummy. We go in through the back to get to the space, called the retro-peritoneum,” Khadra said.

In addition to cancer, hormone over-production is a trigger.

“The adrenal gland usually produces hormones that work for adrenaline, blood pressure hormones, some of the sex hormones, and the stress hormone,” Khadra said.

Without surgery, adrenal issues can elevate blood pressure and aggravate diabetes. There are two glands, so one can be safely removed. In some cases of adrenal cancer, which is aggressive, it is still done with an open procedure, to ensure it’s all removed.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. Health Spotlight is presented by Community Health Network.