Adrenal incidentalomas are common findings on imaging scans. Most are harmless, but some can cause serious health problems. Learn how to tell the difference and when surgery is truly needed.
Adrenal Surgery: What It Is, When It’s Needed, and What Comes After
When your adrenal glands, small organs on top of each kidney that make critical hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Also known as suprarenal glands, they control your stress response, blood pressure, and metabolism. If these glands grow tumors or produce too much hormone, adrenal surgery may be the only way to restore balance. It’s not a routine procedure—it’s targeted, precise, and often life-changing.
Adrenal surgery is most common for adrenal tumors, noncancerous growths that push hormone levels out of range. These can cause Cushing’s syndrome (too much cortisol), pheochromocytoma (excess adrenaline), or Conn’s syndrome (too much aldosterone). Symptoms? High blood pressure that won’t quit, unexplained weight gain, muscle weakness, anxiety attacks, or sudden heart palpitations. Many patients are misdiagnosed for years—until a scan finds the tumor. Surgery removes the problem at the source, not just masks it with pills.
Most adrenal surgeries today are done laparoscopically—small cuts, camera-guided, same-day discharge for many. Recovery is faster than you’d think. But the real work starts after the incision heals: hormone levels must be monitored, sometimes replaced, and lifestyle adjusted. Patients who had excess cortisol often need months of steroid tapering. Those with adrenaline tumors need to avoid caffeine and stress triggers. And yes, some people end up needing lifelong hormone therapy if both glands are removed.
The connection between hormone imbalance, a hidden driver behind fatigue, weight gain, and mood swings and adrenal surgery is deeper than most realize. It’s not just about removing a lump—it’s about fixing a broken internal system. That’s why you’ll find posts here on how doctors test for these conditions, why some tumors are missed, how recovery varies by age, and what alternatives exist when surgery isn’t an option.
What you’ll find below aren’t just medical summaries. These are real stories from people who lived through adrenal surgery, guides on navigating insurance for endocrine procedures, and deep dives into how hormone testing works before and after. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or just trying to understand why your doctor mentioned adrenal glands, this collection gives you the facts without the fluff.