If you have a tumor on your adrenal gland, you may wonder: Is surgery the only option? Is adrenal surgery serious? What are the side effects of having my entire adrenal gland removed?
We want you to know your concerns are valid and your care team will address them all. Together with other endocrine specialists on staff at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery (part of HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital), our medical staff is adept at diagnosing adrenal tumors and performing surgery to remove them. Your team will listen carefully to your questions and personalize your treatment plan to your needs, giving you the quick, effective and high-quality care you deserve.
Functional (hormone-producing) adrenal tumors
Your adrenal gland controls the production of a variety of hormones, such as cortisol, aldosterone and adrenaline-type hormones (catecholamines) in your body.
Adrenal tumors that produce hormones are called "functional" adrenal tumors. Unfortunately, hormone-producing adrenal tumors almost always produce too much of the hormone. This excess causes serious symptoms and illness.
What are the symptoms of adrenal tumors?
Even though the overwhelming majority of adrenal tumors are benign, some create significant symptoms due to excess adrenal hormones. In excess, these hormones can cause toxic effects to your body making you feel unwell or can even be life-threatening.
Are functional adrenal tumors cancerous?
Most functional adrenal tumors are benign (non-cancerous). That means, if your adrenal tumor produces too much hormone, it is almost always benign.
Do functional adrenal tumors need to be removed?
Yes, all functional adrenal tumors need to be removed in a surgery known as an "adrenalectomy." They need to be removed primarily because of the damage caused to the body by the excess hormones, which can be life-threatening.
Diagnosis of adrenal gland tumors
Adrenal gland tumors are fairly common, especially in people who are older, but they are dangerous and demand a careful diagnosis. This lets us determine if the tumors are producing too much adrenal hormone. From there, we can determine the best treatment plan and proceed with a high-precision approach to your surgery.
Adrenal surgery for adrenal gland tumors
Adrenal surgery can be performed many different ways. The specific adrenal surgical technique used will be dictated by your unique needs. That is why surgeons at our facility offer you a customized, individual approach and give you the best possible outcome.
Our adrenal surgeons operate on as many as ten people per week with functional adrenal tumors. Most of these operations are performed with a minimally invasive technique. This typically takes about 30 minutes and leaves you with only a few small bandages on the lower back.
Minimally invasive adrenalectomy
Almost all adrenal tumors can now be removed using minimally invasive techniques such as the mini-back-scope adrenalectomy. This operation is also known as the posterior retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy.
This approach is preferred over traditional adrenal operations because:
- It is performed with a scope (fiberoptic camera) via three small incisions in the lower part of the back.
- It offers a quicker recovery and less scarring.
- It enables surgeons at our facility to access your adrenal gland more easily since it is located behind your other organs.
- Since there are no stitches to take out, you simply follow up with your endocrinologist a week after your operation.
Not every endocrine surgeon offers minimally invasive adrenalectomy. It requires specially trained, exceptionally talented surgeons who are experienced in adrenal gland care. We offer this advanced technique at our facility to ensure you have the most effective treatment for your condition.