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Adrenal Surgery
The adrenal glands
The adrenal glands are 2 small glands that are located on top of each
kidney. The main role of the adrenal glands is to make hormones including
adrenaline or steroids. Normally, only one or part of one adrenal gland
can produce enough hormones for the body. Surgical removal of an adrenal
gland, or adrenalectomy, is most commonly performed for a tumor located
within the adrenal gland that is either producing too many hormones
or is potentially cancerous. Frequently, the hormones produced by an
adrenal tumor can cause high blood pressure, headaches, tremors, and
other symptoms. Generally, patients are referred for an adrenalectomy
after an abdominal CT scan reveals an enlarged adrenal gland (Figure
7).
| Figure 7 |
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| An abdominal CT scan showing
an enlarged adrenal gland |
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy
Prior to the development of laparoscopic adrenalectomy, the removal
of an adrenal gland consisted of a moderate to large incision and a
hospital stay of 3 to 7 days. With laparoscopic adrenalectomy, most
patients go home the day after surgery with minimal pain. The surgery
occurs through 3 or 4 small incisions measuring less than 0.5 inches
in size (Figure 8). Many patients return to work within 7 to 10 days.
| Figure 8 |
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| Incisions during a laparoscopic adrenalectomy |
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