| Disease | Approach |
| Primary hyperaldosteronism | Posterior (left or right) Modified posterior (right) 11th Rid (left>right) Posterior Transthoracic |
| Cushing's adenoma | 11th Rib (left or right) Thoracoabdominal (large) Posterior (small) |
| Cushing's disease | Bilateral posterior Bilateral 11th Rib (alternating) |
| Adrenal carcinoma | Thoracoabdominal 11th Rib Transabdominal |
| Bilateral adrenal ablation | Bilateral posterior |
| Pheochromocytoma | Transabdominal Chevron Thoracoabdominal (large-usually right) 11th Rib |
| Neuroblastoma | Transabdominal 11th Rib |
(From: Vaughan ED Jr: Adrenal surgery, in Operative Urology, F Marshall (ed). W.B.Saunders, 1991.)