Risk factors for prolonged hypotension in patients with pheochromocytoma undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy: a single-center retrospective study

Prolonged hypotension during pheochromocytoma resection is a significant complication. We sought to investigate the predictors of prolonged hypotension in patients with pheochromocytoma undergoing laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA). Patients with pheochromocytoma who underwent LA between 2012 and 2015 were surveyed. Patients were considered to have prolonged hypotension if they had a mean arterial blood pressure <60 mmHg or required ≥30 consecutive minutes of catecholamine support intraoperatively. Among 123 patients, 54 (43.9%) developed prolonged hypotension requiring ≥30 consecutive minutes of catecholamine support. Compared with patients with nonprolonged hypotension, those with prolonged hypotension had higher levels of urinary norepinephrine (P = 0.011), epinephrine (P < 0.001), and dopamine (P = 0.019) preoperatively, and a higher incidence of vital organ injury postoperatively (P = 0.039). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that independent predictors for prolonged hypotension were multiples of the normal reference upper limit value of urinary epinephrine (odds ratio, 1.180; 95% confidence interval, 1.035–1.345) and dopamine (odds ratio, 4.375; 95% confidence interval, 1.207–15.855). The levels of preoperative urinary epinephrine and dopamine are clinical predictors for prolonged hypotension in patients with pheochromocytoma undergoing LA. Using these parameters, clinicians can assess and manage this patient population more effectively.