Single-port (SP) adrenalectomy uses the da Vinci SP robotic platform to perform the operation through one small incision rather than the three or four used for conventional robotic or laparoscopic surgery. It is an option for selected adrenal tumours where the anatomy and indication suit a single-access approach.
The da Vinci SP has three wristed instruments and a flexible 3D camera that fold out from a single cannula once inside the body. The aim is the same as multi-port robotic surgery - precise dissection and vessel control - delivered through a smaller, consolidated access.
Published data for SP adrenalectomy remains modest. A multi-institutional evidence review at the time of writing noted approximately 342 patients across around five retrospective series worldwide, with feasibility demonstrated and broadly comparable peri-operative outcomes in selected cases. This is not the same level of evidence as the much larger literature on multi-port robotic and laparoscopic adrenalectomy.
SP adrenalectomy is generally reserved for smaller, well-defined adrenal tumours where a single-access approach is feasible and the patient is otherwise suitable. Larger, invasive or clearly malignant tumours are better managed with a multi-port minimally invasive or open approach, as described on robotic adrenalectomy and the procedures hub.
The dedicated single-port information site singleportrobot.com.au covers the SP platform in detail, including the full range of urological procedures performed through it and the evidence base for each indication.
You can request a second opinion on imaging, hormone testing and treatment options before you decide.