At the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge, our team is proud to provide advanced, patient-centered care for a variety of adrenal gland conditions. Surgery is a major life event, so we offer minimally invasive procedures when possible, which helps our patients enjoy shorter recovery periods, less pain, and a decreased risk of infection at the surgical site.
These are small and paired glands situated above the kidneys. The core of each adrenal gland, the medulla, produces catecholamines—what we commonly call adrenaline. The outer three layers of each gland, together referred to as the cortex, produce the steroid hormones aldosterone, cortisol and sex hormones. These hormones are crucial to everything from blood pressure control to regulating metabolism, stress response to sex characteristics.
A tumor may develop in the adrenal glands that requires surgical intervention if it produces too many hormones (a functional tumor), has the physical characteristics of potential malignancy and no hormonal activity (a nonfunctional tumor), or is considered malignant (a cancerous tumor).
Your doctor may recommend a test to diagnose an adrenal tumor, such as a blood or urine test, a CT scan or MRI, an MIBG nuclear scan or an adrenal vein sampling.
An adrenalectomy may be recommended, as it is the only cure for adrenal tumors. It can be performed robotically or laparoscopically as a minimally invasive procedure with small incisions. Open surgery is needed only in the case of extremely large tumors or one that is malignant.
An adrenalectomy is performed under general anesthesia with small incisions below the ribs near the adrenal gland being removed. The surgery can take up to two hours and requires an overnight stay for monitoring. After effects include shoulder pain as well as some incision pain.
Recovery may include some follow-up blood tests and supplemental hormones. Patients will need to avoid strenuous activities for about 4 weeks.
Our fellowship-trained surgeons are proud to provide compassionate, patient-centered care. Whether a patient is eligible for a minimally invasive procedure or requires open surgery, our team is ready and able to help.
Their training in minimally invasive procedures allows them to offer surgical solutions that benefit the patient through:
We don’t take a one-size-fits-all approach to surgery. Our surgeons collaborate with other surgeons to find the most effective treatment options for each patient.
Contact the Surgeons Group of Baton Rouge to discuss your surgical treatment options.
