25 years experience of the surgical treatment of phaeochromocytoma.

Objective: To assess the outcome of the surgical treatment of patients who had adrenalectomy for phaeochromocytoma.

Design: Retrospective clinical study.

Settings: University hospital, Germany.

Subjects: 87 consecutive patients with phaeochromocytoma who were operated on.

Interventions: 29 flank and 58 transabdominal adrenalectomies between 1974 and 2000.

Results: The mean tumour diameter was 5 cm (range 2-13), and the mean weight 91 g (range 7-550). The postoperative hospital stay was 11 days. The flank incision entailed the shortest operating time (95 minutes). Two of the phaeochromocytomas were malignant. There were two wound infections but no deaths. With a correct selection of patients, a flank incision is safe. Endoscopic retroperitoneal adrenalectomies should be preferred.