Overview
An adrenalectomy (uh-dree-nul-EK-tuh-me) is surgery to remove one or both of the adrenal glands.
The body’s two adrenal glands are located at the top of each kidney. The adrenal glands are part of the system that makes hormones, called the endocrine system. Although adrenal glands are small, they make hormones that affect almost every part of the body. These hormones control metabolism, the immune system, blood pressure, blood sugar and other important body functions.
An adrenalectomy often is done to remove a tumor. Most of these tumors are benign. That means they are not cancer. Cancer that begins in the adrenal glands is not common. The surgery also may be done because an adrenal gland makes too much of certain hormones. Or an adrenalectomy may be needed if cancer has spread to an adrenal gland from another part of the body.
If only one gland is removed, and it was not making too many hormones, the other takes over the work of both adrenal glands after surgery. In that situation, hormone replacement medicine is not needed. If an adrenal gland is removed because it is making too many hormones, you may need to take hormone replacement medicine until the other adrenal gland starts working correctly again. If both adrenal glands are removed, you need to take medicine for the rest of your life to replace the hormones that the glands make.
Why it’s done
You may need an adrenalectomy if one or both of your adrenal glands:
- Contain a tumor. Adrenal gland tumors that are cancer are called malignant tumors. Tumors that are not cancer are called benign tumors. Most adrenal gland tumors are not cancer.
- Make too many hormones. If an adrenal gland makes too many hormones, it can cause a wide range of symptoms that may lead to serious health problems. In some cases, certain types of tumors can trigger the glands to make extra hormones. They include tumors called pheochromocytomas and aldosteronomas. Some tumors cause the gland to make too much of the hormone cortisol. That leads to a condition called Cushing syndrome. A tumor in the pituitary gland also can trigger the adrenal glands to make too much cortisol. If the pituitary tumor cannot be completely removed, an adrenalectomy may be necessary.
In some cases, an adrenalectomy also may be advised if an imaging exam of the adrenal glands, such as a CT scan or an MRI scan, show suspicious or unclear findings.
