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Surgery for an Adrenal Tumor

Adrenal cancer is rare, according to UrologyChannel.com. The adrenal glands are located above the kidneys. These glands produce cortisol, aldosterone, epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. Surgery may be needed to treat adrenal tumors.

  1. Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy

    • Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is the surgery of choice for benign adrenal tumors, according to the Center for Pancreatic and Biliary Diseases. Small incisions are made through which a video chip and long instruments are passed, and surgeons remove the adrenal gland using a TV monitor to observe the instruments they are manipulating.

    Open Adrenalectomy

    • Open adrenalectomy is more invasive than laparoscopic surgery. One or both of the adrenal glands may be removed using this technique due to benign or malignant tumors.

    Metastasis

    • Determination of whether and where cancer has spread is an important consideration before surgery. Other organs, such as the kidney, may need to be removed as well.

    Blood Pressure

    • High blood pressure must be treated and controlled before surgery for adrenal tumors. This treatment may include prescription of beta or alpha blockers.

    Prognosis

    • Surgical removal of metastasized adrenal tumors gives patients a roughly 40% five-year survival rate, according to UrologyChannel.com.

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