{ "id": "epena3ej8r", "slug": "unilateral-adrenalectomy", "title": "Unilateral adrenalectomy", "updated": "2026-10-15", "topic_path": [ { "id": "life", "label": "Life and health", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life" }, { "id": "life.health", "label": "Human health and medicine", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.health" }, { "id": "life.health.clinical", "label": "Clinical assessment and procedures", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.health.clinical" }, { "id": "life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery", "label": "Surgery and surgical specialties", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery" }, { "id": "life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery.gastrointestinal-and-abdominal-wall-surgery-proc", "label": "Gastrointestinal and abdominal wall surgery procedures", "api_url": 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abdominal wall surgery procedures", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery.gastrointestinal-and-abdominal-wall-surgery-proc", "path": [ { "id": "geo.nongeo", "label": "Non-geographic", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946", "label": "Non-geographic · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.life", "label": "Life and health", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.life" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health", "label": "Human health and medicine", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health.clinical", "label": "Clinical assessment and procedures", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health.clinical" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery", "label": "Surgery and surgical specialties", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery" }, { "id": "geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery.gastrointestinal-and-abdominal-wall-surgery-proc", "label": "Gastrointestinal and abdominal wall surgery procedures", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.nongeo.t1946.life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery.gastrointestinal-and-abdominal-wall-surgery-proc" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Unilateral adrenalectomy is the surgical removal of one adrenal gland, performed to cure hormone overproduction from that gland, chiefly primary aldosteronism, cortisol-producing adenoma, and pheochromocytoma.", "snippet": "Unilateral adrenalectomy is the surgical removal of one adrenal gland, performed to cure hormone overproduction from that gland, chiefly primary aldosteronism, cortisol-producing adenoma, and pheochromocytoma.", "node": "life.health.clinical.clinical-surgery.gastrointestinal-and-abdominal-wall-surgery-proc", "markdown": "# Unilateral adrenalectomy\n\nUnilateral adrenalectomy is the surgical removal of one adrenal gland, performed to cure hormone overproduction arising from that gland, chiefly lateralized primary aldosteronism, cortisol-producing adenoma, and pheochromocytoma, or to remove a suspicious adrenal mass. It is a curative endocrine operation with a low overall postoperative complication rate of 3.6%, and outcomes improve when it is done by a surgeon performing at least six adrenalectomies per year.[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK559093/)\n\n| Key fact | Value |\n|---|---|\n| Main indications | Primary aldosteronism, pheochromocytoma, adrenal Cushing syndrome, refractory or ectopic Cushing, adrenal mass >4 cm, adrenocortical carcinoma or metastasis[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK559093/) |\n| Lateralization test | Adrenal venous sampling; lateralization index >4 with ACTH stimulation is the most widely accepted criterion for unilateral disease[2](https://e-enm.org/journal/view.php?number=2228) |\n| Biochemical success (aldosteronism) | 94% complete in the PASO cohort of 705 patients; 99% pooled in the SOPRANO analysis[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5572673/) • [4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-023-01554-x) |\n| Clinical success (aldosteronism) | 37% complete and 47% partial in PASO; 39% pooled complete in SOPRANO[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5572673/) • [4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-023-01554-x) |\n| Approach metrics | Transperitoneal laparoscopic: 51 mL mean blood loss, 1.3% conversion, 12.4% complications[5](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00423-023-02911-7) |\n| Glucocorticoid risk | Adrenal insufficiency after unilateral removal in nearly 100% of overt Cushing syndrome and about 60% of mild autonomous cortisol secretion[6](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2795363) |\n| Long-term failure | Biochemical recurrence of aldosteronism in 23% (12/53) at median 89 months in one Munich cohort[7](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.22281) |\n\n## How it works\n\nThe operation exploits lateralized hormone excess. Clinically, AVS-guided adrenalectomy cures the hyperaldosteronism and resolves or improves blood pressure in over 80% of patients with unilateral primary aldosteronism, with biochemical cure of the primary aldosteronism in 96–100%; hypokalemia normalizes in all patients and hypertension is cured in 30–60%.[8](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.22642) • [9](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joim.12831) • [25](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6484800/)\n\nBilateral disease is the boundary of surgical cure. Individuals with mild primary aldosteronism typically have bilateral disease and proceed directly to medical management; lifelong mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist therapy is recommended for bilateral disease or unknown lateralization, while unilateral adrenalectomy is reserved for lateralizing disease in surgical candidates.[10](https://www.endocrine.org/clinical-practice-guidelines/primary-aldosteronism-2) Even in bilateral disease, removing one gland can help: in 24 such patients, unilateral total adrenalectomy resolved hypokalemia in 76% and improved blood pressure control in 65%.[11](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.114910)\n\n## How it is done\n\n**Selection and lateralization.** For primary aldosteronism, the 2025 Endocrine Society guideline suggests CT scanning plus adrenal venous sampling before choosing medical versus surgical therapy, with a possible AVS exception for patients under 35 with marked aldosterone excess, hypokalemia, and a unilateral adenoma larger than 1.0 cm.[10](https://www.endocrine.org/clinical-practice-guidelines/primary-aldosteronism-2) • [12](https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaf284) In AVS, the lateralization index is the aldosterone-to-cortisol ratio of the dominant adrenal vein divided by that of the non-dominant side; a lateralization index >4 with ACTH stimulation is the most widely accepted criterion, and in the PASO cohort it was an independent predictor of biochemical cure.[2](https://e-enm.org/journal/view.php?number=2228) AVS is technically demanding and carries a 0.7% risk of adrenal vein rupture; right adrenal vein cannulation succeeded in 74% of 384 patients across 47 studies, rising to 96% at high-volume centers.[8](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.22642) • [9](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joim.12831) For suspected cortisol excess, the 1-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test is taken at 23:00–24:00 with serum cortisol measured at 08:00–09:00; cortisol above 1.8 μg/dL (50 nmol/L) suggests autonomous cortisol secretion.[10](https://www.endocrine.org/clinical-practice-guidelines/primary-aldosteronism-2) Patients with pheochromocytoma receive alpha-blockade until orthostasis is achieved, beta-blockade as needed, and a high-sodium diet with liberal fluids in the week before surgery.[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK559093/)\n\n**Operation.** In the laparoscopic transabdominal technique the patient is placed in lateral decubitus, CO₂ insufflation is raised to 15 mmHg, a 30° endoscope and two 5-mm plus one 12-mm trocars are placed, and the adrenal vein is transected with clips, a bipolar clamp, or a harmonic dissector.[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK559093/) The posterior retroperitoneoscopic approach uses a prone position, a 1.5-cm incision below the 12th rib, and CO₂ insufflation at 20–30 mmHg to develop the [retroperitoneal space](https://www.edgepedia.org/retroperitoneal-space); the higher pressure tamponades minor bleeding and compresses the inferior vena cava or renal vein.[1](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK559093/) • [13](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8142855/) Both transperitoneal and retroperitoneal laparoscopic routes are considered safe, and the choice rests on surgeon training and experience.[14](https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bju.13592) Across eight randomized trials, transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy had the lowest blood loss (mean 51 mL), the lowest conversion rate (1.3%, 14/113), and a 12.4% complication rate; the posterior retroperitoneal route had similar blood loss (55 mL) with the shortest operative duration, hospital stay, and postoperative pain.[5](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00423-023-02911-7) [Laparoscopic adrenalectomy](https://www.edgepedia.org/laparoscopic-adrenalectomy) typically requires one night in hospital and return to work in 7–10 days.[9](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joim.12831) Open surgery remains the standard for adrenocortical carcinoma and adrenal cancers of 8 cm or greater, per the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons.[5](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00423-023-02911-7) • [14](https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bju.13592)\n\n## Origin\n\nThe first known surgical extirpation of an adrenal gland is thought to have occurred in 1889 during a radical nephrectomy, and the first planned adrenalectomy was performed in 1914.[15](https://clinicalgate.com/2015/03/28/adrenal-surgery/) Laparoscopic adrenalectomy was reported in 1992 by Eiji Higashihara and colleagues in a case report in The Japanese Journal of Urology, using a transperitoneal route.[16](https://doi.org/10.5980/jpnjurol1989.83.1130) In 1996, Martin K. Walz and colleagues reported posterior retroperitoneoscopy as a new minimally invasive approach in 30 adrenalectomies in 27 patients in World Journal of Surgery; the same report included subtotal resection in five patients with smaller eccentric tumors.[17](https://doi.org/10.1007/s002689900117) The PASO outcome consensus, published in The Lancet Diabetes & [Endocrinology](https://www.edgepedia.org/endocrinology) in 2017 by Tracy A. Williams and colleagues, standardized how success is measured after this operation.[18](https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-8587%2817%2930135-3)\n\n## Variants\n\n**Partial adrenalectomy.** Subtotal resection is selected when the adenoma is well localized and can be clearly macroscopically differentiated from normal adrenal tissue; otherwise total minimally invasive adrenalectomy is performed.[19](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039606020306085) Preserving approximately 30% of one adrenal gland preserves eucortisolism and does not lead to adrenal insufficiency, which underpins function-sparing resection.[11](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.114910) In a systematic review of 60 partial adrenalectomy studies, recurrence of primary aldosteronism was 2% and 97% of patients did not require steroid replacement.[20](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1416287/full)\n\n**Indication-specific outcomes.** Clinical cure is significantly more frequent for pheochromocytoma than for primary aldosteronism (86.1% vs 52.3%, \\( p < 0.001 \\)).[21](https://www.minervamedica.it/en/journals/minerva-urology-nephrology/article.php?cod=R19Y2026N01A0090) For aldosteronism, the aldosteronoma resolution score, published in Surgery in 2014 by Anna Aronova and colleagues, predicts long-term resolution of hypertension.[22](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surg.2014.08.019)\n\n## Applications\n\nFor unilateral primary aldosteronism, the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons recommends laparoscopic adrenalectomy because operated patients use fewer medications at lower defined daily doses and have lower risks of new-onset atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, stroke, and all-cause mortality.[6](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2795363) In an insurance-claims cohort of 911 patients, adrenalectomy was associated with 1.11 fewer antihypertensive medications at one year and 87% lower odds of potassium supplementation (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.07–0.24).[23](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1245/s10434-026-19347-0) Medical therapy remains the comparator: spironolactone is started at 12.5 mg and titrated up to 400 mg daily, though 25–50 mg usually controls blood pressure and hypokalemia.[8](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.22642)\n\n## Limitations and alternatives\n\n**Persistent hypertension.** Complete clinical success is much lower than biochemical success: 37% complete and 47% partial in PASO versus 94% biochemical, with 39% pooled complete clinical success in SOPRANO.[3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5572673/) • [4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-023-01554-x) Higher BMI, longer hypertension duration, and more preoperative medications each predict poorer clinical success.[4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-023-01554-x) • [3](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5572673/) Concurrent primary hypertension, present in up to 30% of primary aldosteronism patients, is a common reason surgery fails to cure blood pressure.[8](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.22642)\n\n**Wrong target and missed bilateral disease.** Imaging alone is unreliable: in a systematic review of 38 studies and 950 patients, CT/MRI findings disagreed with AVS in 37.8% of patients; 14.6% with bilateral disease would have undergone adrenalectomy and 3.9% would have had the wrong side operated.[20](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1416287/full) In the AVIS-2 Imaging study, 34% of patients had no visible nodules and 8% had bilateral nodules, so imaging alone would deny curative surgery to about 41% of patients submitted to AVS.[8](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.22642) Adrenal hyperplasia, combined adenoma and hyperplasia, or multiple adenomas may be present in up to 27% of patients in whom AVS demonstrated unilateral disease.[19](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039606020306085)\n\n**Recurrence and adrenal insufficiency.** In a Munich cohort, biochemical persistence rose from 6% at short-term to 24% at long-term assessment, and recurrence occurred in 23% of patients cured at one year, at a median follow-up of 89 months; recurrence was higher with nonclassical histopathology (60% vs 14%, \\( p = 0.005 \\)), and no patient with an KCNJ5-mutated adenoma had recurrence.[7](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.22281) The International Histopathology Consensus for Unilateral Primary Aldosteronism, published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & [Metabolism](https://www.edgepedia.org/metabolism) in 2020 by Tracy Ann Williams and colleagues, gave the classical versus non-classical histologic framework now used to explain recurrence.[24](https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa484) Solitary CYP11B2-positive tumors are almost always cured, whereas multiple CYP11B2-positive nodules or diffuse hyperplasia carry increased risk of persistent or recurrent disease.[11](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.114910) After unilateral removal for cortisol excess, adrenal insufficiency occurs in nearly 100% of overt Cushing syndrome and about 60% of mild autonomous cortisol secretion, requiring glucocorticoid replacement until recovery.[6](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2795363) Robotic adrenalectomy shows longer operative times, higher equipment and training costs, a steep learning curve, and poorer cost-effectiveness in low-volume centers; in one comparison it had a 20% complication rate versus 0% for laparoscopic surgery.[5](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00423-023-02911-7) • [20](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1416287/full) For patients ineligible for surgery, interventional alternatives include cryoablation or superselective adrenal arterial embolization with high-concentration ethanol.[8](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.22642) No published head-to-head benchmark quantifies medical therapy for Cushing syndrome, such as ketoconazole, as a direct comparator.\n\n## References\n\n1. [Adrenalectomy (StatPearls/NCBI Bookshelf)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK559093/)\n2. [Adrenal Venous Sampling for Subtype Diagnosis of Primary Hyperaldosteronism (Endocrinology and Metabolism)](https://e-enm.org/journal/view.php?number=2228)\n3. [Outcomes after adrenalectomy for unilateral primary aldosteronism: an international consensus on outcome measures and analysis of remission rates in an international cohort (PASO study)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5572673/)\n4. [Clinical and biochemical outcomes after adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism in tertiary and quaternary referral centers: data from SOPRANO study | Hypertension Research](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41440-023-01554-x)\n5. [Comparing surgical outcomes of approaches to adrenalectomy, a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00423-023-02911-7)\n6. [American Association of Endocrine Surgeons Guidelines for Adrenalectomy: Executive Summary (JAMA Surgery, 2022)](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamasurgery/fullarticle/2795363)\n7. [Unilateral Primary Aldosteronism: Long-Term Disease Recurrence After Adrenalectomy (Hypertension, 2023/2024)](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.123.22281)\n8. [Clinical Management of Primary Aldosteronism: An Update (Hypertension, 2024)](https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.124.22642)\n9. [Diagnosis and treatment of primary aldosteronism: practical clinical perspectives (Journal of Internal Medicine)](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joim.12831)\n10. [Primary Aldosteronism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline (2025 update)](https://www.endocrine.org/clinical-practice-guidelines/primary-aldosteronism-2)\n11. [Molecular pathology of primary aldosteronism and hypercortisolism: Impact on adrenal surgery (iScience, 2026)](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.114910)\n12. [Gail K Adler and colleagues (2025). Primary Aldosteronism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.](https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaf284)\n13. [Comparison of Posterior Retroperitoneoscopic Adrenalectomy Versus Lateral Transperitoneal Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy for Adrenal Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8142855/)\n14. [International Consultation on Urological Diseases and EAU International Consultation on Minimally Invasive Surgery in Urology: laparoscopic and robotic adrenalectomy](https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bju.13592)\n15. [Adrenal Surgery (Clinical Gate)](https://clinicalgate.com/2015/03/28/adrenal-surgery/)\n16. [Eiji Higashihara and colleagues (1992). A CASE REPORT OF LAPAROSCOPIC ADRENALECTOMY. The Japanese Journal of Urology.](https://doi.org/10.5980/jpnjurol1989.83.1130)\n17. [Martin K. Walz and colleagues (1996). Posterior Retroperitoneoscopy as a New Minimally Invasive Approach for Adrenalectomy: Results of 30 Adrenalectomies in 27 Patients. World Journal of Surgery.](https://doi.org/10.1007/s002689900117)\n18. [Outcomes after adrenalectomy for unilateral primary aldosteronism: an international consensus on outcome measures and analysis of remission rates in an international cohort (The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 2017)](https://doi.org/10.1016/s2213-8587%2817%2930135-3)\n19. [Minimally invasive partial versus total adrenalectomy for unilateral primary hyperaldosteronism, a retrospective, multicenter matched-pair analysis using the new international consensus on outcome measures (Surgery)](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0039606020306085)\n20. [Adrenalectomy for primary aldosteronism and its related surgical characteristics (Frontiers in Endocrinology, 2024)](https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2024.1416287/full)\n21. [Minimally-invasive partial versus total adrenalectomy for unilateral aldosterone-producing adenomas and pheochromocytoma: long-term results from a multicenter Italian study (Minerva Urology and Nephrology, 2026)](https://www.minervamedica.it/en/journals/minerva-urology-nephrology/article.php?cod=R19Y2026N01A0090)\n22. [Anna Aronova and colleagues (2014). Aldosteronoma resolution score predicts long-term resolution of hypertension. Surgery.](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surg.2014.08.019)\n23. [Fewer Pills, Lower Bills: Antihypertensive and Cost Outcomes of Adrenalectomy in Primary Aldosteronism (Annals of Surgical Oncology, 2026)](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1245/s10434-026-19347-0)\n24. [Tracy Ann Williams and colleagues (2020). International Histopathology Consensus for Unilateral Primary Aldosteronism. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.](https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa484)\n25. [pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6484800/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Life and health › Human health and medicine › Clinical assessment and procedures › Surgery and surgical specialties › Gastrointestinal and abdominal wall surgery procedures*\n\n*Initially written Sep 29, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/unilateral-adrenalectomy", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/unilateral-adrenalectomy.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Unilateral adrenalectomy\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/unilateral-adrenalectomy. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Unilateral adrenalectomy](https://www.edgepedia.org/unilateral-adrenalectomy)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/unilateral-adrenalectomy](https://www.edgepedia.org/unilateral-adrenalectomy). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Unilateral adrenalectomy\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/unilateral-adrenalectomy. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Unilateral adrenalectomy is the surgical removal of one adrenal gland, performed to cure hormone overproduction from that gland, chiefly primary aldosteronism, cortisol-producing adenoma, and pheochromocytoma." }