Adrenalectomy—Open Surgery Side Effects and Warnings

Possible Complications

Complications from having an adrenalecomty may include:

• Insufficient cortisol production
• Decreases in blood pressure
• Bleeding
• Infections in the wound, urinary tract, or lungs
• Blood clots in the legs
• Injury to nearby organs or structures
• Adverse reaction to anesthesia

Factors that may increase the risk of complications include:

• Age: 60 or older
• Obesity
• Long-standing cortisol excess
• Smoking
• Poor nutrition
• Recent or chronic illness
• Heart or lung problems
• Alcoholism
• Use of certain medicines (eg, blood pressure pills, muscle relaxants, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, insulin, steroids, sedatives, or hypnotic agents)
• Use of street drugs (eg, LSD, hallucinogens, marijuana, or cocaine)

Be sure to discuss these risks with your doctor before the surgery.

Call Your Doctor

After you leave the hospital, contact your doctor if any of the following occurs:

• Signs of infection, including fever and chills

• Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or any discharge from the incision site

• Nausea and/or vomiting that you cannot control with the medicines you were given after surgery, or which persist for more than two days after discharge from the hospital

• Pain that you cannot control with the medicines you have been given

• Pain, burning, urgency, or frequency of urination; persistent bleeding in the urine

• Cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain

• Pain and/or swelling in your feet, calves, or legs

• Headaches

• Lightheadedness or dizziness

• Any new symptom

In case of an emergency, CALL 911.