Your adrenal glands produce a number of essential hormones that regulate a variety of different functions in your body. If your adrenal glands start producing too many or too few hormones, or a tumor develops in the area, problems can occur. We’ve already talked about five different adrenal gland removal operations on the blog, but today we’re going to answer some of the more common questions we receive about adrenal gland disfunction and surgery.
What Do The Adrenal Glands Do?
As we mentioned above, the adrenal glands produce hormones. These hormones help you retain water, decrease inflammation, regulate your immune system, control your blood pressure and a number of other essential functions in your body.
What Happens If The Adrenal Glands Malfunction?
An issue with your adrenal glands typically result in too little or too much hormone production. An imbalance of hormones can lead to issues like high blood pressure, diabetes or a stroke, among other things.
How Are Adrenal Gland Issues Treated
If the issue involves a simple hormonal imbalance, a doctor may be able to set you up with a prescription that regulates hormone production to the correct levels. However, if medications won’t solve the problem, surgery to remove the glands may be an option.
Do I Need To Have An Adrenal Gland Tumor Removed?
With advancements in CT scan and MRI technology, we’re getting better at identifying small adrenal tumors. Caught early enough, these tumors can be monitored, and in most cases, patients do not need to have the growth removed unless it causes problems or is cancerous.
What Can I Expect During An Adrenalectomy?
If it turns out that you need surgery on your adrenal glands, your surgeon will walk your through your minimally invasive and open operation options. During the procedure you will be given anesthesia and sedated, so you won’t feel anything during the operation, which takes between 90 minutes and three hours to complete.
What Are The Potential Complications Of Adrenal Gland Surgery?
Although complications are rare, some potential complications from an adrenalectomy include: infection, excessive bleeding, blood clots, damage to a nearby organ or the need for blood transfusions. Again these risks are well-controlled for and are rare in the hands of a skilled endocrine system surgeon.
What Should I Expect After Adrenal Gland Surgery?
If you undergo a minimally invasive adrenalectomy, you can probably leave the surgical center the day after surgery, while an open operation will take a few more days. You may suffer some appetite loss in the hours after surgery, but that should return within a day or two. You will be advised to move around and walk as soon as possible, but heavy lifting is typically restricted for about a month. Overall recovery time is much shorter for a minimally invasive operation, which is why we prefer this method when possible.
If you have any more questions about adrenal gland problems or surgery, reach out to Dr. Koeplin’s office today.
