Yes, nearly all functional adrenal tumors need to be removed. Do functional adrenal tumors need to be removed? Most of these adrenal operations are performed via a mini-scope operations (Mini Back Scope Adrenalectomy) which typically takes our surgeons about 30 minutes and the patient has only a few small Band-Aids on their lower back. Our adrenal surgeons operate on as many as 12 people per week with functional adrenal tumors. That means, if your adrenal tumor produces too much cortisol, aldosterone or adrenaline-type hormones (catecholamines) it is almost always benign. It is important to understand that most functional adrenal tumors are benign (non-cancerous). Unfortunately, hormone-producing adrenal tumors almost always produce too much of hormone and this excess hormone causes tremendous symptoms and illness. Our surgeons use this advanced operation on about 95% of our adrenal patients, and it typically takes about 30 minutes total time.Īdrenal tumors that produce hormones are called 'functional' adrenal tumors. It is not taught in surgical residency because no surgeons see enough cases of adrenal surgery to learn it. Since the adrenal glands are in the very back part of your abdomen, behind all the other organs, getting to them through the back with a small scope and fine endoscopic instruments makes total sense and has many tremendous benefits-but few surgeons know how to do it. It is performed with a scope (fiberoptic camera) via three small incisions in the lower part of the back of the patient. There are many reasons the minimally invasive Mini-Back-Scope Adrenal operation is preferred over any of the other adrenal operations. This operation is also called 'Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy'. Trans-peritoneal adrenalectomy (for large adrenal masses and cancers)Īlmost all adrenal tumors (>95%) can now be removed using minimally invasive techniques such as the Mini Back Scope Scope Adrenalectomy.Open trans-abdominal adrenalectomy (for large adrenal masses and cancers).Mini-back-scope adrenalectomy (best surgical option for 90% of adrenal tumors).

Adrenal surgery should be tailor-made for you and your specific tumor. It is crucial that your adrenal surgeon is comfortable with all different techniques of adrenal surgery since a customized, individual approach will give the best possible outcome. The specific adrenal surgical technique used will be dictated by the situation at hand. Adrenal surgery can be performed many different ways.

Adrenaline secreting tumor